


Déjà Vu (Or are we losing our minds?)

by danny_the_coolest



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Sort Of, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Very little angst if you squint, and some blood once i get to the zombie!Au, but I'll let you know once we're there, but more like every au you can think of, but there's no explanation for it i just wanted to make all the au's, everyone else also thinks they're going crazy but won't say it aloud, magic is involved, shirbert thinks they're losing their mind but they're okay, the gang's all here, there's a bit of vomit and drinking on the first chapter, you'll have fun tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23766730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danny_the_coolest/pseuds/danny_the_coolest
Summary: Anne is having the weirdest dreams lately, but all of them seem connected somehow. She knows they have something in common, but when she wakes up, she just can't remember what it is.OrGilbert keeps having flashbacks about someone whom he doesnt' know but has dreamt of for quite a while. Each time, he wakes up with just one incoherent thought: He loves her.
Relationships: Cole Mackenzie & Anne Shirley, Diana Barry & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Mary Lacroix/Sebastian ''Bash'' Lacroix, Ruby Gillis/Moody Spurgeon MacPherson
Comments: 68
Kudos: 91





	1. Make Your Own Decision

**Author's Note:**

> This is my excuse to write every AWAE+AU in just one story bc I love making things complicated uwu  
> I had tons of fun writing this, but idk when will I update, I hope it'll be soon enough, tho -Danny

> _' **Two souls don't find each other**_
> 
> **_by simple accident.'_ **

Gilbert wasn't a morning person.

Medical school was a pain in the ass, he didn't need to say that to anyone– He didn't like to complain at all if he was honest, after all, it was thanks to school that he was going to become a doctor. Still, he missed the lazy mornings on his bed, no worries in the world apart from what his father would make for breakfast.

That was years ago, though. Now he was an adult (or the closest thing to it, anyway) and he had bills to pay, he didn't have to pay rent and that was certainly a good thing, Bash and Mary were a gift sent from heaven after his dad had died, but he still helped around their house, along with the schoolwork he worked on relentlessly while trying to ignore the uncertain future knocking on his door almost every day.

After all the sleepless nights pacing around the kitchen, lights on and coffee maker ready to go, memorizing things and finishing research papers, he's pretty sure this isn't exactly healthy, but if he's bound to have similar routines for the rest of his life, he might as well get used to it.

He tries not to think a lot about that, his future, that is. All around him friends start to settle down, move out to their own places, find love, travel, having adventures while he spends all his weekends locked in his room learning about a new subject that is just as thrilling as any date he could possibly have.

That's a lie, of course. He longs for a break, an excuse to run wild and free just one night. 

Luckily for him, that opportunity comes this Friday.

* * *

Anne's in love with the early sunlight, that warm, clear light that slips through her window every morning to announce a new day with no mistakes in it yet was about to start.

She loves the quiet, how time slows down for her while she pours a second cup of tea for her morning readings before heading to school. She loves the muffled noises Diana and Cole make while getting up, letting her know she has to hurry if she wants to start her routine on time.

She's a simple young woman (a very new one at that, if she was honest) and the little things still manage to give her a thrill that parties or any kind of social interaction simply can't.

That's half a truth, of course. She misses the weekly reunions with her Highschool friends, the bike rides with Jerry, her old neighbor, whenever they needed someone to rant about stupid things and none of their friends was around to do so.

Despite all this, she is fine. Anne follows the path to her dream: to become a successful writer for all kinds of people, to tell the stories that people need most at the moments when all hope seems lost and love is scarce.

However, when her Highschool friends text her and Diana about a much-needed reunion, she didn't have to think twice before replying with **_'Oh god, YES.'_**

* * *

_The Orchard_ was fairly known for its homely 'aesthetic' as some would call it, which attracted the younger people that needed a break from their crazy student lives. The diner had originally belonged to Gilbert's dad, but when he passed away, it fell onto Gilbert's hands and him, not wanting to close the place that had so many memories of his childhood, decided to add Bash's name into the papers.

Their dads had been good friends most of their lives, and although Gilbert and Bash aren't the same age, he thinks of him as some kind of older brother who always helped him get through the hard times, especially right after his father was gone. It was only natural that Bash owned half of the diner, after all, he loved the place as much as Gilbert, for his father had worked there in the bar while Mr. Blythe served the costumers.

The two lousy boys had dedicated most of their free, youthful time, to run around the place like they owned it. Now that they did, it was pretty much the same, only that this time they run around placing food on the tables and scribbling people's orders.

After a few months of hectic confusion, Bash's mother practically forced them to hire more staff, since they had their hands full and Gilbert was breaking under the pressure that it was to keep the business going the same as his career. 

They hired one of Gilbert's old friends and a few students that lived near the diner. Moody Spurgeon, Prissy Andrews, Charlie Sloane, and the Pauls (They weren't related, they just happened to be named Paul).

That Friday was the last before their winter break, so it was packed with tons of eager students wanting to eat their money away now that most of them were returning home for the holidays. This meant two wonderful things to Gilbert:

One, the diner was going great. 

Two, he was getting the well-deserved sleep he'd been lacking for months. 

Excluding that night, because that night he was going to get utterly shitfaced with Moody and company after their evening shift.

* * *

"I've never heard of that place before," Anne replied distractedly as she kept grabbing things from the table and putting them inside her bag.

"Students love that place, Ruby says they serve the best food and she's always there, but Jane says she's actually crushing on one of the waiters, though Ruby refuses to either confirm or deny..."

"Ruby's always crushing on someone, though," Cole replied. "If she's still going after all this time, the food must be worth it as much as any cute boy."

"I honestly don't care as long as there's enough room to sit and have a long, long chat with all of you," Anne smiled dreamily. "I've missed them so much! Even Josie– And you know how often she tends to get on my nerves!"

"You wouldn't be missing them so much if you could put the books down every once in a while to hang with us," Diana rolled her eyes. "Honestly Anne, it's a miracle you're not blind or wear glasses at all after all the hours you stay with your face glued to the pages."

"I'd look awful with glasses!" Anne grimaced. "I hope my eyesight stays the same for the rest of my life."

"Well then, take care of your eyes and take a break from those books. Leave your bag here, you won't need it," Cole grinned.

Anne's eyes landed on the bag laying on top of their table. That bag was used for one thing only: To carry as many books as possible in case she got bored, so she could read at any time, any place. Also to carry her keys and pads, but those weren't as important.

"But... what if the girls arrive late?"

"You can talk to us, or are we too boring for you now, Miss Literate?" Diana teased.

"You know that's not it," She rolled her eyes. "Okay, if you want I'll leave the books."

"Perfect," Cole clapped once and got up excitedly. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Gilbert, come back to earth and take this to table three, will you?" Charlie hissed, putting the plate in front of his nose and waking the boy abruptly.

"Sorry!" He jumped, walking hurriedly to said table.

When he got back, Charlie was still there, examining his face.

"Are you sure you want to go out, man? I can tell you're worn out, maybe you should take a–"

"No!" Gilbert growled. He cleared his throat and continued on a much lighter voice after noticing this. "I- Uh, I'll be fine. I'll sleep all I want tomorrow, but today I really want to go out, before you and the boys go back to your homes for Christmas."

Charlie nodded with uncertainty.

"Maybe you should change places with Bash? The kitchen might keep you alert instead of sitting here and wait for people to call you over."

"Yeah..."

"I'll get him," His friend decided, walking back to the kitchen.

Gilbert heard the entrance's bell ring and turned to see Ruby Gillis and a few other girls enter. 

Ruby was a good and constant client. He was glad about Bash taking his place because he believed that Ruby had a crush on Moody, and the waiter always took her orders no matter the table she was in, he didn't have enough energy to watch them ogle at each other.

"You okay, Blythe?" Bash patted his back once he and Charlie reappeared behind him. "You're sure you want to go out? With that look, you're likely to scare all the ladies away instead of getting a date for our Christmas party."

"Very funny," Gilbert scoffed. "I'm fine, I just need to stay active."

Before either Bash or Charlie could reply, he rushed into the kitchen, missing the exact moment when three new costumers arrived at the place.

*******

"I see why people love it here," Anne said. "I feel cozy just by looking at it!"

"Yeah," Cole agreed, frowning slightly. "We are going to a bar after this, aren't we?"

"Cole!" They replied.

"I'm just asking!" He exclaimed. "It's lovely and all, but I'm not spending my last weekend away from my maniac siblings eating a freaking burger."

"It's likely," Diana retorted. When she noticed Anne's eyes widening, she quickly added. "No one will force you to get drunk, I know you hate how... uhm– Well, how crazy you get."

"I love drunk Anne!" Cole laughed. "Last time I saw her we were playing truth or dare and she was dared to kiss one of my friends, but then I convinced Josie to change the dare and after that Anne grabbed me by the collar and whispered very loudly. _'Thank you Cole. I actually want to kiss you now'_ and when I reminded her I was gay, she retorted _'Oh, sorry Gay, I thought you were Cole'_ "

Diana and Cole chortled, Anne shook her head in horror.

"Drunk me is terrible!"

"No! Only her puns are."

"Can we just get a table, please?"

"Oh!" Diana grabbed her arm, pulling her to a distant corner. "They're here already!"

The next few hours passed way too fast. Anne, finally reunited with her best friends, felt as if she was finally coming back to life. 

As Diana had predicted, they decided to go to a bar a few streets down the road from The Orchard. A place their waiter, a young man named Moody and who Anne suspected was the waiter Ruby had feelings for, had recommended to them, casually letting them know that he was going to be there after work with a few of his friends. Ruby practically dragged them to the bar as soon as they paid the bill.

"Bet Ruby ends up declaring her love to that waiter in less than an hour, and ends up spending the rest of the Holidays mourning because she scared him away," Josie whispered audibly to Jane and Anne. The former sniggered and nudged Josie's arm. Anne frowned worryingly towards her friend, really hoping that wasn't the case.

*******

"Who's ready to lose all memories from whatever happens tonight?" Paul asked loudly over the music, placing a bunch of drinks in front of the group.

The boys answered by chugging down drink after drink, getting clumsier as time went by.

Gilbert was having a blast, most of his days he wishes he could go back to being a teenager, slightly more different than the one he was. One that wasn't all that quiet and reserved and bitter about his dad's fate.

He longed for his lost youth, where he would attend parties and go to prom looking sharp, accompanied by a pretty girl beside him. All those teams and clubs he had to leave to stay home and spend the last days of his father's life next to his bed, all those gatherings he missed with people from other places because he had to get the best grades so one day he could be a doctor, so he could save the people he loved... so he didn't have to live through the uncertainty and the uselessness again.

Tonight he was finally getting that, he could pretend he was still just a boy, a stupid boy who didn't know how to drink and most certainly would end up throwing up half his stomach out of his body, but a happy boy at least.

"You know," He yelled to no one in particular. "Did you know, that you guys are my best friends?"

The boys replied with words of appreciation, patting his back harshly. Charlie even hugged him.

"I mean it!" He continued. "These last few months have been shit. There, I said it. Shit."

"What you need," One of the Pauls said, he wasn't as drunk as Gilbert, but he was definitely almost there. "What you need is to get laid."

The boys erupted into mayhem, agreeing with Paul. All of them except for Gilbert. 

He frowned, not understanding what they meant.

"I said I'm not tired," Gilbert shook his head, his whole body losing stability and crashing against Moody, who held him in place as if it was normal to lose your ground while sitting on a chair. "I don't need to lay in bed just yet."

"I meant sex," Paul retorted, chugging down half of what he had in his glass.

"Oh," Gilbert sat back, eyebrows raising as if he'd never thought about it before. "Well, that's different."

"You need a break," Charlie slurred. "Or is the good doctor too much of a saint to touch a strange girl?"

"I'm not," Gilbert huffed, drinking what was left of his drink. "I can have sex. I like sex!"

"But Gilbert, you've never had–" Moody started, but was soon cut off by Gilbert's sudden movement.

The young man stood up, leaning on the table and losing all the color on his face. The rest of the group moved away as Moody grabbed Gilbert by the shoulders and straightened him up.

"Gilbert?" He asked, slightly coming back to his senses.

"Bathroom," He said quietly.

"Alright," Moody gulped. "Be right back, guys. Gilbert needs a moment."

* * *

Anne spent the majority of the night talking with everyone, and the problem with that is that she gets thirsty when that happens. Which is a dangerous thing to be at a bar. 

Still, Cole -what a great friend he was- made sure to always keep her glass full so she could take sip after sip without having to wait.

She knew she was far from sober when she found herself in the middle of an argument with Josie and Tillie about zodiac signs. Anne was talkative on the daily, but after a few drinks she was simply unstoppable- There was no soul on earth or heaven that could follow her train of thoughts, and right now she wasn't even sure she was following them herself.

"I have to pee," She said, interrupting her own story and sliding out of their booth to stand up.

"I'll go with you," Ruby said, impatient to have an excuse to stand up and look around for Moody, she'd barely touched her drink all night.

"Okay, but it's not like I need help or anything," Anne rolled her eyes, accidentally stepping on Tillie's foot. "Woops! Sorry, Tillie!"

Cole watched her along with Diana, both raising their glasses and making a silent toast for their friend. Anne was finally having fun after such a dull term and it was simply amusing watching her act so recklessly during her drunken state.

"Don't stay for too long Anne," Ruby warned her. "Last time you fell asleep inside the stall and Diana had to crawl underneath to get you out!"

"It wasn't my fault!" She replied loudly. "I hadn't slept at all that week, and the alcohol makes wonders to my insomnia."

"I think you've had enough for tonight as well," Ruby grinned. "I'll get you a cold glass of water once where back in our table, okay?"

Anne nodded, silently making her way into the girl's toilet. Since it was just one bathroom, Ruby had to stand outside, leaning on the sink and examining her reflection on the mirror. Two men, one dragging the other, walk past her in a rush and opened the boy's bathroom harshly, the one who'd been dragged quickly fell to his knees and started vomiting his guts out.

"Oh my god!" Ruby gasped, covering her mouth in horror. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," The guy said without turning to see her. "He doesn't drink this much often, that's all."

The young man stood up once he made sure Gilbert was doing fine on his own, not choking or anything, and turn to meet the blonde's eyes.

"Oh," His cheeks reddened. "Hi!"

"Moody!" She exclaimed happily. "You weren't lying, you came here after all!"

"Yeah," He smiled. "We wanted to give our buddy Gilbert a good night before we return home. Now I'm not so sure about it..." He grimaced at hearing his friend's grunts and gags.

"I'm with my friends as well, but I..." Ruby blushed lightly, even that she managed to make enchanting. "If you have time, we could seat together for a moment? Just the two of us?"

"Right now?" Moody asked in surprise.

"Well, no," Ruby peered over his shoulder at the boy's bathroom. "Not if you can't, I see your friend is feeling terrible..."

"He'll recover," Moody brushed it off. "He's studying to become a doctor, you know? I bet he'll see his way out now that the alcohol's out of his system"

"You're sure?" The girl inquired.

"Are you able right now?" Moody looked behind her to see the girl's door. "Were you waiting in line or is one of your friends there?"

"A friend, she's also wasted," Ruby said, pondering her options. "But... I guess if she managed to walk all the way here on her own... she can walk back just fine?"

Moody's smile widened.

"We better go get those drinks, then?"

"Sure!" Ruby exclaimed, holding Moody's wrist and dragging him back to the bar.

A minute after her friend had left, Anne walked out of the toilet, mid-conversation with a Ruby she didn't know was no longer there.

"... and the toilets here are so comfortable, I almost felt tempted to have a nap right there, but a promise is a promise– See, Ruby? I didn't stay for too long!" She looked up to find the spot empty, her confidence falling. "Or perhaps I did..?"

Lightly stumbling her way over to the sink, she focused on washing her hands before going back. Her reflection looked back at her and smiled happily, putting some strands of loose hair behind her ear and failing to notice the boy's door opening.

There was a small slate on her right with the words _**'Wash your hands before you leave! :)'**_ written with purple chalk that she found adorable. She picked it up to examine it further when a body clumsily crashed against her side.

"Woops!" The man said, not looking up. "Sorry."

Anne raised her brow for a second before turning her attention back to the slate.

Gilbert washed his face and hands, the world less blurry than before but still awfully intoxicated. Paul's comment came back to him and feeling the girl's presence behind his back he decided it was rather convenient.

"Excuse me," He asked, looking up and facing the girl's reflection. "Can I ask you something?"

It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her, the man kept staring at the mirror instead of turning to face her, but she could sort of see his face under the dim lights looking back at her though, and since she was feeling rather chatty, she obliged.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Do I look like I need sex?"

Anne laughed.

"Dunno, why're you asking?"

"My life sucks," Gilbert shook his head casually. "And I'm about to have the worst hangover ever."

"That makes two of us, dude."

Gilbert tilted his head, turning to see her now, taking in her appearance.

"You would have sex with me?"

"Excuse me," Anne frowned. "I barely know you!"

"Yeah, but am I attractive?"

"It doesn't matter, I wouldn't have sex with a stranger."

"Very well, then imagine that I'm not a stranger," Gilbert rolled his eyes, having to hold on to the corner of the sink so as not to lose his balance. "Would you do it?"

Anne started to imagine, she imagined a great deal so she could give a precise answer.

"Well, I'd have to know your medical records cause I don't wanna get any diseases, and then I'd have to find you likable because looks aren't everything– and if I'm having sex with you I probably want something that lasts–"

"Nevermind," Gilbert snorted. "I think we're both better if we don't have anything at all."

"Why's that?" Anne asked irritatedly, this guy was making no sense to her.

"You overthink a lot and I already do that way too much for my own good," Gilbert explained.

"Oh, so you'd rather take advantage of a dumb girl, is that what you're saying?"

"That's what _you're_ saying," He scoffed. "I only asked if you'd have sex with me in a hypothetical scenario but you rambled on with the rest, _Carrots_."

"I was giving an honest reply," She stated. "And don't call me, Carrots. You sound like a child."

Gilbert laughed loudly at that.

"Better a child than a grumpy librarian," He walked up to her, grabbed a strand of her hair and pulled lightly, with a taunting voice, he added. " _Carrots."_

Anne's fingers gripped the slate harder than ever as she flung it to the man's head. It was small and thin, so it didn't cause severe damage, but the slate broke in half with a nasty _'crack'_ that pleased her a bit too much.

"How dare you!" She yelled in drunk anger. "I don't know who the hell you are, but I'm certain no one would have sex with a jerk!"

She stormed off, giving Gilbert no opportunity to apologize. Although he didn't seem to mind that much at the moment, the things around him spun once more and he had to return to the toilet to vomit what was left of his evening drinks, dreading the following morning.

*******

Anne, Cole, and Diana returned home with rosy cheeks and loud laughter surrounding them. The trio intoxicated in happiness and many, many margaritas and shots.

"Best night ever!" Anne yelled as she let herself fall on the couch, kicking off her shoes.

"Told you it was going to be fun!" Diana grinned, laying beside her.

"My favorite part was to find Ruby making out with the waiter when I went to ask for the check," Cole cackled. "No wonder why she abandoned you in the bathroom!"

"Don't even tell me about it, I had the most unpleasant encounter–"

"Oh my god!" Diana sat up, looking at her phone with wide eyes. "It's four in the morning! We have to be back in Avonlea in less than eight hours!"

Cole and Anne groaned.

"Can't we have a nap first? We packed all of our things already!" Anne whined.

"Please?" Cole fell on the couch opposite to them. "I'm exhausted!"

"Fine..." Diana sighed. "But I'm certain my mom's gonna kill me for arriving late."

"What can she do? Forbid you to go to their Christmas dinner?" Cole chuckled. "Just sleep, Diana."

"Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight!"

"Sweet dreams," Anne mumbled, half-asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doesn't matter what universe they're in, Anne is obliged to break a slate over his head during their first encounter, it's the law.
> 
> Okay so a few explanations, what you just read it's supposed to be "the real world" but some chapters will be set in their dreams, you'll know which one are as soon as you start reading, it might sound confusing right now but I promise you'll get the hang of it once I post the next chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter tho, so pls feel free to leave a comment! :)


	2. Can I please get a coffee? (And your heart)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "M'coming! Don't you dare touch my breakfast, and please tell me you have the kettle on!" He shouted, grumpily standing up and rubbing the tension out of his neck. "I having the weirdest craving for coffee..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of ooc things, maybe? Idk, people sometimes do things they don't usually do while they're dreaming, that's how brain works. Sorry if it has mistakes, I'm sleepy but I felt like writing a new chapter, so this is the best I could do -Danny

"Oh, god..." Gilbert woke up abruptly, hearing Bash's chuckles above his head after throwing a cushion at him. "Please, just hit me unconscious already..."

"You had a great time last night," The man said gleefully, walking over to the living room's curtains and dragging them open.

Gilbert groaned louder, hiding his face completely under the cushion.

"Please..."

"So you stumbled through the house and gave up on the living room," He continued just as loudly. "Look at you, still wearing last night's clothes!"

"Are you here to mock me or are you going to make me a goddamn cup of coffee?"

He felt a sharp slap at the top of his head. 

"Hey!" He sat up, feeling his brain yelling at him for making all those movements.

"Watch your damn mouth! There's two perfectly decent ladies in this house!"

"Sorry," He complained, head falling back and closing his eyes tightly. "Don't ever let me drink like this again."

Bash laughed again, ruffling his disheveled hair. 

"I don't know, haven't met drunk Gilly yet, might like him more than sober Gilbert!"

Gilbert scoffed, slapping his hand away.

"Very funny."

"Tell ya what, Blythe," Bash rounded the couch. "Just this once– Because the Orchard's going great, and you've worked hard these months, I'll be a good brother and make you breakfast."

"I don't deserve you." He said sarcastically.

"You don't," Bash agreed. "Don't get used to it, I feel sorry for you and your poor liver, that's all."

Gilbert sighed, his body sinking and drifting back to sleep. 

* * *

"Oh my god, look at what Josie sent!" 

Anne's eyes opened and looked at Diana with a disoriented expression. 

"Wha– Who?" She looked down at the phone in front of her, blinking rapidly. 

"Oh, sorry Anne," Diana grimaced. "I'm the worst, I don't allow you to sleep at all!"

"It's okay, I'll sleep once we're home," Anne smiled lazily. 

"Home sweet home," Cole said sarcastically. "I can almost hear all the screams..."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Diana rolled her eyes. "Your siblings are young and loud– and you hate kids."

"I don't hate kids."

"You kinda do," Anne grinned. "I don't understand, your siblings are so adorable!"

"They're beasts!" Cole groaned. "Running around with their sticky fingers and squeaky voices..."

"They have their own charm, though," Diana smiled. "I remember how Minnie May used to run around the house in diapers, she was a doll!"

"If you guys love my siblings so much I'll pay you to babysit them throughout the holidays. I mean it."

The girls laughed.

"How about I invite you two to a sleepover next week?" Anne offered with a mischievous smile. "You get the snaks, Diana can get the wine and I'll put place and playlist."

"Yes!" Both friends replied. 

"Christmas is sounding way better," Cole smirked.

"You're welcome," Anne grinned, leaning her head on his shoulder and yawning almost right away.

*******

_Gilbert was late for school._

_His alarm had failed and now he was frantically running up the street in order to get to his class in time._

_However, he stopped short in front of a establishment._

_A coffee shop._

_His stomach rumbled on queue, he tried to remember if he'd had breakfast before leaving the house, but his frantic preparations seemed to have distracted him from getting a proper meal. He walked into the shop to get a simple coffee and perhaps one of those big cookies these places usually had._

_With zero time to waste, Gilbert stood up in front of the counter and started to ask for his order while looking for the exact change._

_"One black coffee –no sugar, no milk– and one of those chocolate chip cookies, ple... please."_

_His voice faltered at the end, finding a pair of striking grey -or were they blue?- bright eyes._

_The girl stood there, mirroring his expression until she realized he was now staring at her._

_"Right!" She shook her head and turned away so fast Gilbert couldn't catch a glimpse of the name written on the tag of her apron. "One black coffee– and a cookie right away!"_

_She had astonishing red hair carefully braided, she was about a feet smaller than Gilbert._

_"Ahem," Someone cleared their throat behind him and he jumped out of the line, clumsily sliding over to a corner. His eyes moved from the man to the girl who was pouring his coffe into a paper cup._

_"Here," She left the cup in front of him with an easy smile._

_Gilbert tried to read the tag again, but she was too fast, the girl turned away to grab a cookie and put it inside a small paper bag._

_"I don't know how you drink that," She pointed over the shoulder to the drink on his hand. "It's too much caffeine for me– And bitter, which makes it worse."_

_Gilbert let out a shy laugh._

_"Well, I need it if I want to focus during my lecture."_

_"Oh, student life, huh?" He heard her chuckle. "Yeah, can relate."_

_"You go to school near here?" He asked as casual as possible, desperately trying to find an excuse to know more about her._

_"I..." She turned, her eyes losing focus for the briefest second. "I don't know, actually."_

_"That's okay," He replied, grabbing the paper bag she was holding out for him and thanking her with a small nod. "When I moved here for the first time all the streets were confusing, but you'll get used to it."_

_"You got to school here?"_

_Gilbert frowned. Where was he exactly?_

_He looked out the window, feeling oddly out of place, like he'd never seen those streets before._

_"I'm studying to become a doctor," He knew it was a weird way to answer, but it was the clearest answer he could give._

_"Oh, that's quite a big deal," The girl raised her eyebrows. "You're sure you don't want an extra coffee? I feel that you'll need it."_

_Gilbert laughed. The redhead took the next costumer's order and quickly put it on the counter for her coworker to see._

_"No," He replied. "But there's something I'd love to have, if you're truly feeling generous, that is..." Gilbert said, careful with his words._

_Her smiled grew._

_My god, she was a goddess._

_She opened her mouth to reply, but the girl working beside her interrupted their conversation._

_"We don't have all day," The brunette hissed. "Get to work!"_

_Gilbert smiled apologetically._

_"To be continued?" He offered._

_"Maybe," She shrugged, showing the briefest smile._

_Gilbert paid for his food and she put it in the register, taking the receipt and handing it to him._

_"Enjoy your meal," She said._

_He walked out of the shop feeling defeated, he didn't even know her name!_

_Just as he was reaching for his cookie, he looked down at the napkin next to it._

_There was a phone number written with black pen. Next to it, a little message was messily scribbled._

_**'I'm free on Fridays ;) -A.'** _

*******

"Breakfast is ready!" 

He jumped out of the couch, landing on sideways on the rug.

"Ouch!" He hissed, head still pounding. "Can't you wake me up like a decent person?!"

"No!" He heard Bash yelling back. "You better hurry or I'll eat both plates!"

"Don't you dare touch my breakfast! And please tell me you have the kettle on!" He shouted, grumpily standing up and rubbing the tension out of his neck. "I having the weirdest craving for coffee..."

* * *

"We're here!" Diana squirmed excitedly, waking Anne up for the thrid time that day. "We're home!"

"Avonlea," Cole sighed. "In all its glory."

They left the bus holding their suitcases and each other tightly, the cold winter wind mercilessly ruining their hair.

"I swear that if I catch a cold..." Cole started.

"Let's just walk to a warmer place," Diana suggested. 

"You guys mind if we make a quick stop?" Anned asked, pulling them closer to the sidewalk. "I'm dying for a coffee." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I'm well aware that this is not how baristas are supposed to do their job but I also know that Anne would give two fucks about proper behaviour if she had Gilbert looking at her like that -Danny.
> 
> P.S. Comments are welcomed and very much appreciated :)


	3. Madame Cordelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'The second man caught her attention almost instantly. He was tall (taller than her, at least) had black, curly hair, and he was pretty much the perfect definition of what she would’ve called a charming prince, if he weren’t involved in this sort of business, her business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: Guns and Alcohol.

> **_'I fall in love with you_ **
> 
> **_more times in a day_ **
> 
> **_than my heart beats'_**

Anne arrived to a quiet Green Gables that morning. She was holding an empty cup of coffee in one hand, bags hanging on the other. Her cheeks flushed with the icy weather and her scarf half-hanging from her neck, but happy to be at home.

“Hello?” She asked, walking to the living room.

There Matthew was having a quiet nap, a newspaper long forgotten on his lap and half a sandwich abandoned on the coffee table.

Then she heard Marilla’s hurried steps coming from the kitchen and stopping at the doorway.

“Our girl!” The woman let out in a sort of worried exasperation. “What’s the point of owning a phone if you’re not gonna answer it!”

“I didn’t want to bother,” Anne said apologetically. “We decided to get a cab for the three of us so our families didn’t have to pick us up from the station.”

“Nonsense!” The woman walked up to her and took one of the bags that were hanging from her arm. “You’re not a bother, Anne. Come in– sit down, you must be freezing.”

“Only a little,” She smiled, “we stopped for a coffee so I’m not that cold.”

“Matthew got out of bed early,” Marilla said, letting out a huff. “I heard him pacing around, moving things out of place and cooking… He’s been eager to see you since last Thursday!”

“I’m here now… but I think I’ll let him rest a little.”

The man grunted lowly, still fast asleep. He sank further on his chair, the newspaper falling from his lap.

The two women laughed quietly at this, Marilla pointed towards the kitchen and took her daughter’s hand gently, guiding her.

“You must be hungry. Charlottetown is close, but not close enough to have a proper breakfast before taking the bus here.”

“Actually, I’m more sleepy than hungry, really,” Anne yawned then, as if to emphazise her comment. “I went out with the girls last night and then home quite late, Diana wouldn’t stop talking during our trip– I know, I know, it is so unlike me to complain about something like an endless conversation!” She added, watching the woman standing in front of her raise a brow. “But I am totally worn out, my time for juvenile partying is coming to an end, I suppose...”

“Don’t be silly, you’re barely twenty-three,” Marilla replied. “You still have a whole decade of youthful adventures… but I’d like to see you holding up at my age if that’s the case, you’d be laying in bed unable to move by the time you’re forty.”

“Let’s hope not,” Anne grinned.

“So I take you’d like to have a nap before lunch?”

“I would, yes.”

Anne threw her cup into the kitchen’s bin, then she grabbed both of her bags and took them upstairs to her room. Warmth immediately spread all around her at the sight of the cherry tree just outside her window, and her stuff still in the same place where she’d left them before the start of term.

Her bed was made, but she decided to just dive in and fall on top of it without even taking off her shoes. She looked blindy for her phone and pulled it out of her pocket, she searched for her favorite podcast (one about crimes and murder) and pressed play.

Two minutes into the podcast Anne fell asleep.

* * *

_She was sitting in front of a very fancy, expensive, wooden desk. She didn’t know how, but she knew she was expecting someone to arrive, some kind of appointment._

_Anne got up from her equally fancy chair and stared at the reflection in the closest mirror that was hanging next to a coat rack. It was strangely blurry around the edges, but she paid no mind as she fixed her ponytail._

_“Madame Cordelia?” A voice came from the door._

_She turned around and saw Jerry standing there, he was wearing a dark jacket and something that looked a lot like a gun hang from his right hip._

_“Yes?” She replied, somehow familiar with the way he'd adressed her._

_“They’re here.”_

_“What are you waiting for, then?” She asked in a demanding tone._

_Jerry nodded shortly before dissapearing once more._

_Anne walked back to her desk and sat down, admiring the room she was in._

_Everything looked -she found no better way to express it- expensive as hell._

_There was some pictures hanging on the walls of whom she recognized (or at least that she said to herself) were her parents. There was no pictures of herself, but she knew the office was hers, she also knew she had a gun hidden under her desk in case things got ugly, but she was hoping she really didn’t have to kill anyone today._

_Jerry returned with two men following close behind. The first one was blond, he had wide shoulders and small eyes and seemed to be chewing something. For some reason, that annoyed Anne a great deal._

_The second one caught her attention almost instantly. He was tall (taller than her, at least) had black, curly hair, and he was pretty much the perfect definition of what she would’ve called a charming prince, if he weren’t involved in this sort of business, her business._

_“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” She said casually. “Would you like a drink?”_

_“Madame Cordelia,” Replied the blond man, reaching for her hand and kissing her knuckles. “My friends call me Big Billy.”_

_She realized, with a bit of repulsion, that ‘Big Billy’ had left a bit of saliva on her skin._

_“I know how they call you,” She replied, discretely cleaning her hand on her lap. “However, we’re not even close to acquaintances.”_

_The man gulped. He then remembered the man behind him, who’d been staring at the woman in a way that could have gotten him killed if it wasn’t because Anne had most of her focus on the other man._

_“Ah yes, you still haven’t met this one here,” Billy dragged his companion closer to the desk, an arm around his shoulders. “This a new one, but good at keeping his mouth shut and helping us get the work done. Say something, boy.”_

_He pushed Billy’s arm from his body and cleared his throat._

_“‘Afternoon, Madame,” He nodded once, fixing his coat on the places Billy had pulled. “I’m John Doe.”_

_She let out a short laugh._

_“Is that really your name, boy?”_

_He smiled._

_“It’s real enough now, Madame.”_

_She stared at him, top to bottom without feeling any sort of embarrassment. This was her office, and they were under her roof._

_“Sit down,” She said._

* * *

_Gilbert was close to having a heart attack._

_A rookie like him wasn’t truly expected to be undercover so soon after graduating. However, since he was the closest to the age of the main gangsters in town, his boss thought convinient for him to be the one thrown into the pit._

_When they told him about Madame Cordelia back in the station, he had imagined a woman about fifty years old, with grey hair and a face of steel._

_Then they showed him her picture, and even though he was impressed about her age –though he shouldn’t have, since they had told him before about how her parents had died -first her father thanks to lung cancer, then her mother thanks to the police- and that being the reason as to why she was now the leader of one of the biggest gangs Toronto had ever seen– he wasn’t expecting her to be… welcoming._

_It was hard to explain, but he found her extremely attractive, not meaning just her looks, but about her entire demeanor. He felt like a moth getting dragged to a breathtaking fire._

_“Talk,” The woman motioned to her man, who was standing at the far left corner. “Be quick– I have other business to attend… Jerry, scotch on the rocks, please.”_

_He nodded, walking over to the table closest to the door._

_“Well, Madame–” Billy started, but she interrupted again._

_“You’re sure you don’t want anything?” She raised a brow. “We’re known to be good hosts, and I’d like to keep that reputation going.”_

_“Your reputation is safe for sure, Madame,” Gilbert replied calmly._

_“Ahem,” Billy cleared his throat, flashing a warning look to his partner. “As I way saying, Madame Cordelia. We’d liked to expand our business to you.”_

_“Yes, save the talk–” She took the glass Jerry was offering to her and leaned further on the desk. “Give me one reason as to why should I agree to close the deal with you. Your little family has lacked sucess during the last four years while mine has kept our name on the highest for generations. So go on, what’ve you got for me?”_

_Billy seemed completely afraid to answer, as if saying the wrong thing would have him killed, and he wasn’t far from the truth. It was then that Gilbert decided to take the lead._

_“We got the amethyst with us.”_

_Billy’s eyes widened, they weren’t supposed to release that information without closing the deal, it was too risky, and Madame Cordelia was too smart. However, her interest seemed to peak at the revelation, and that was exactly what Gilbert wanted._

_“How?” She said, eyeing the men like they had grown two heads. “The amethyst…”_

_That’s the name the city had given to the most important treasure of their times. It was so well hidden that it was starting to feel more like a legend, something the gangsters told their children as a bedtime story._

_And **it was** a legend. Merely a made-up treasure hunt the police and goverment had invented to get the Shirleys attention, an excuse to make Gilbert’s arrival more enticing._

_“The important part is not how, but whom,” Gilbert smiled at her. “Bet you’d like to have that person on your side instead of against you.”_

_“I wouldn’t be making bets about things you don’t know if I were you,” She raised a brow, trying to fein disinterest._

_“Am I wrong?” He insisted, his hazel eyes showing a kind of cleverness she hadn’t seen in anyone besides her own father._

_“Say I’m interested,” She shrugged. “Say I might agree to give you whatever it is that you’re looking for in exchange for the amethyst… How do I know it’s the real thing? No one’s seen a picture of it ever.”_

_“I’m sure we can find a way, Madame,” Billy spoke, his confidence finally coming back to him. “But first, our petitions–”_

_“No. First you give me proof,” She took a sip of her scotch, pointing one accusatory finger at him. “You think I go around closing deals that are based solely on pretty words?”_

_“Here,” Gilbert searched in his pocket, which was just around the biggest mistake he could ever make._

_Jerry pulled out his gun and pointed at his head, Billy stood up and reached for his. Madame Cordelia then pulled out her own gun and pointed at Billy without bating an eyelash._

_“Don’t be stupid, Billy. You know this is not your place.”_

_“I don’t have a gun,” Gilbert grimaced, scolding himself for being so heedless. His hand remained inside his pocket. “I was reaching for my phone, that’s all.”_

_Jerry walked up to him, supporting the gun on his temple._

_“Slow movements, Doe,” Jerry growled. “We don’t fool around here.”_

_The man obeyed, pulling his phone slowly and unlocking it, searching for the gallery and then leaving the phone on the table._

_She took it without lowering her weapon, her eyes skimming through the image._

_“That’s it?”_

_Gilbert frowned._

_“What, doesn’t live up to the expectations?”_

_“It’s too small.”_

_He let out a chuckle._

_“Doesn’t mean it’s cheap, though.”_

_“All right,” She put down the phone, then looked back at Billy. “Darling, are you going to stand there like an idiot for the rest of our reunion or are you going to sit down?”_

_Billy sat clumsily, Jerry stepped back and put his gun away too. Gilbert didn’t try to retrieve his phone, waiting for her to give a verdict._

_“I guess it’s worth it,” She sighed. “Bring the amethyst with you this Sunday and we can talk business.”_

_Billy’s smile grew._

_“Very well, Madame. That’ll do.”_

_They got up ready to leave, but she stopped them._

_“You- Johnny,” She tilted her head. “Stay for a minute, will you? Jerry, I’ll be fine, see that Mr. Bil find his way out of our home.”_

_Billy and him shared a look, but he nodded anyway._

_“Sure thing, Madame.”_

_“Now now, that can’t do,” Billy started in a sort of authoritary demand. “What sort of on-the-side business would you–?”_

**_‘BANG!’_ **

_Madame had fired her gun to a corner near Billy’s head. She was looking at him sternly._

_“What I do or don’t do is none of your bussiness. I told you to wait outside, so that’s what you’ll do. Now, can you repeat what I said so I know you have it clear?”_

_“Be waiting outside,” Billy pointed over his shoulder, nodding one last time towards her. “Goodbye, Madame Cordelia.”_

_She nodded, watching as the door closed behind him. Only then she turned to Gilbert._

_“Sit down.”_

_Gilbert obeyed, his heart hammering. She couldn’t have possibly figured him out already, could she?_

_She was the leader of the most prolific gang in Toronto, but that didn’t mean she could read minds. There was no way she could know he was undercover… could she?_

_Madame Cordelia got up calmly from her chair and walked up to where her fancy liquors were. She poured whiskey in a small glass and placed it in front of the man._

_“Now,” She continued, leaning against her desk. “John Doe, I don’t need a second meeting to know that it was you who stole the amethyst.”_

_Gilbert didn’t reply._

_“What I truly wanna know, is how a man with your brains ended up in Big Billy’s gang?”_

_Gilbert relaxed, perhaps not everything was lost._

_“I guess you could say I’m a johnny-come-lately,” He smiled. “I can’t ask for a place in a bigger gang, can I?”_

_“Perhaps,” She raised a brow. “But you stole the amethyst. Anyone with enough intelligence would’ve been able to tell you’re more than just a minion.”_

_“I’ll get to that, eventually.”_

_“You will, next Sunday.”_

_“Madame?” He inquired, taking the glass and drinking only a sip._

_"Come back with Billy next Sunday,” She took another sip of her drink. “They get their beloved protection and resources. I get the amethyst… and you.”_

_“He won’t let that happen,” Gilbert raised a brow, though that was exactly what it was hoping it would happen. “They’ll want me around for more heists.”_

_“I couldn’t care less about their shitty heists,” Madame Cordelia replied. “You’re meant for bigger things, Darling Doe. You believe in fate?”_

_“I don’t, Madame.”_

_“I do. I believe it brought you to me,” She smiled, leaning further and supporting one hand on the backrest of his seat so now she had the man trapped between the chair and her body. “Think about it, Johnny boy.”_

_Gilbert gulped, feeling a sort of dizziness that had nothing to do with the liquor in his glass. The woman straightened up again, returning to her place behind the desk._

_“I…” He cleared his throat. “I’ll do it.”_

_Madame Cordelia’s smile grew, and Gilbert thought that was the hottest, most terrifying woman he’d ever seen in his life._

_“You can leave now.”_

_Gilbert stood up so abruptly that he almost knocked down the chair. He finished his drink at once, in an attempt to ease his nerves._

_“Have a good day, Madame Cordelia.”_

_“It already is, Johnny,” She smirked back._

_'My god, Gilbert, please don’t lose your job over the hot gangster,' He thought in distress._

* * *

A loud bang brought him back to his senses, Gilbert hid under the covers and yelled half-asleep.

“Don’t shoot!”

Bash stood at the doorway, a confused smirk on his face.

“Who said anything about shooting, Blythe?” He laughed. “I came here to wake your ass up, it’s almost midday.”

“Jesus, Bash–” Gilbert grunted, tossing his blankets aside and rubbing his eyes. “Do you have to cause me minor heart attacks every time you wake me up?”

Bash laughed again.

“Wouldn’t be half as fun otherwise, Gilly.”

* * *

“Anne?” A soft hand gently shook her shoulder. “It’s lunch time.”

“Hmm…” She groaned in her sleep. “He stole our amethyst...”

“What now?” Marilla frowned. “You mean my brooch?”

“What?” Anne slowly opened her eyes. “What’d you say?”

“You said some man stole my brooch,” Marilla shook her head. “I think you were talking in your sleep.”

“Oh, was I?” She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before…”

“Can’t believe it, even in your dreams you can stop your chattering!”

Anne let out a short, sleepy laugh.

“Looks like it… is it time for lunch?”

“Yes, and Matthew is already waiting for you downstairs,” Marilla added, raising her eyebrows in a way that let her know she had to get up at once.

“Be there in a minute,” She started to untie her shoes so she could change into something more comfortable.

After Marilla had gone she texted Jerry to let her know she was home and ready for one of their famous movie marathons. When Jerry asked which one was her choice to start with, she thought about it for a moment before texting back:

**_‘Goodfellas.’_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it's not as confusing as the other chapters now that we're having a sort of pattern to follow lmao  
> Let me know what you think! -Danny.


	4. 1st. Déjà Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was right, anyway. That girl would grow up to be famous and rich, her life was practically solved and it hadn’t even properly started!
> 
> Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if that girl would ever truly feel happy with her life, if there wouldn’t be a part of her wishing to just be… normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small one cause I wanted to post something this week but I didn't have time to something bigger, there's no dream here, but next chapter will have it :) -Danny

> **_'I miss you more_ **
> 
> **_than I remember you'_ **
> 
> **_-Ocean Vuong_**

Jerry arrived the next morning and immediately after Anne arranged everything to have the marathon the next day.

His house was always packed with people during the Holidays because his siblings would bring wives and children, without mentioning his youngers siblings that still lived there (Jerry had a huge family) so they usually did their reunions in Green Gables.

They were currently in their third movie of the day (Anne’s choice: _Mamma Mia!_ ) when Jerry noticed they were running out of snacks.

“Do they make you starve back in Uni?” He huffed, looking at the empty bowl between them. “How can you eat so fast?”

“Hey, you’re eating too, is not just me!” She retorted.

“Pause, I’ll go to the kitchen.”

Anne paused the movie and picked up her phone while Jerry disappeared in the kitchen.

“How’s college treating you?” She asked loudly so he could hear her. “Agricultural engineering still feels as exciting as before?”

“More now than ever!” He replied. “I’m halfway there…”

“Good to hear you’re having fun,” Anne grinned. “I admit I had my doubts.”

“Why, cause I was lazy during highschool?” He walked into the room, a refilled bowl on his hands. “I was sluggish, not stupid.”

“You're sure about that?” She tilted her head, laughing at his expression.

“Sure, laugh at the guy with a big family and little resources,” He rolled his eyes. “You’re heartless, not all of us were born to have the luck you’ve got as the only daughter of two old farmers, _Madame Cordelia_.”

Anne froze in place, something about the nickname sparking a distant feeling.

“Anne?” Jerry eyed her with caution. “All good?”

“Huh,” Anne raised a brow. “I felt the weirdest _deja vu_ …”

“Well, you make fun of my social status all the time, so…”

“Oh stop that,” She laughed, lightly nudging his shoulder. “That’s not true!”

“Yeah, yeah,” He brushed off. “I know it lacks importance in your priviliged bubble…”

Anne laughed again, her eyes going back to the bright screen of her phone.

“Talking about privilege,” She handed the phone to her friend. “I honestly don’t know why people is so interested in celebrities’ lives…”

“Because they're dramatic,” Jerry read quickly through the article. “Why are you reading about Kim Kardashian’s baby?”

“My biggest weakness has always been clickbaits,” She sighed. “But honestly, look at the birthday party they threw for her– that girl won’t have a single moment of privacy in her life!”

“Who cares, she’s rich,” Jerry snorted.

“She’ll care once she grows up and realize she won’t have the freedom to make the mistakes any normal teenager should be allowed to do.”

“She can, if she doesn’t care about the paparazzi, that is,” The boy shrugged. “Should I press play now?”

Anne was still very much invested on their chat, but since he was showing zero effort to continue, she decided it was better to just forget about it. He was right, anyway. That girl would grow up to be famous and rich, her life was practically solved and it hadn’t even properly started!

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if that girl would ever truly feel happy with her life, if there wouldn’t be a part of her wishing to just be… normal.

* * *

“Do you have to put that on while we’re getting ready?” Gilbert whined.

Bash had turned on the tv and immediately changed it to one of those shows focused on Hollywood drama and influencers’ scandals.

“What? It’s entertaining,” The man grinned. “Makes you feel better about having a boring life, doesn’t it?”

“Not like I ever wished to be famous in the first place, but I guess you have a point,” Gilbert stared at the screen as he dried the glasses in front of him.

They were talking about a singer that had recently lost a lot of weight, and the main focus wasn’t her weight lost (which Gilbert considered, as a doctor, the most important part) but the way she looked in that bikini with all that “extra skin” hanging around. It was sickening.

“Honestly, who the hell cares about that?” He huffed. “She looks happy, that’s all people should care about. Why are they so obsessed with knowing every little detail? What good does it bring to them?”

“You’re sounding like a bitter old man,” Bash slapped his arm with a towel. “Stop whining and let me watch my nonsense in peace. Once we open the doors to the public you can change the tv to animal planet or Discovery, if you like. The clients will love it...”

“Some of them do!” Gilbert said defensively.

“Why don’t you go and help Mary in the kitchen, I don’t know, chop some _carrots_.”

Gilbert winced at this, and he felt a sharp sting on his forehead that caused him to stop for a second.

“What?” Bash walked up to him. “Is that hangover still in your system?”

Gilbert lifted a hand and gently massaged the place that had stung, his right temple.

“Maybe I’m still weary from my terrible sleeping schedule during the semester...”

“You’re sure you’re ready to start working?” Bash examined him more carefully. “It’s okay, Mary and I can handle the place for a few more days on our own–”

“No, I want to help,” He straightened his posture. “I’ll take an aspirin if the pain comes back, maybe it was some sort of spasm.”

“Well, you’re the doctor here,” His brother raised his hands in defeat, he walked back into the kitchen raising his voice so he could hear him. “Just a reminder, I need you fully recovered by the time we throw our fiftieth anniversary party for the Orchard.

“Yeah, yeah, I know… and I’m not a doctor yet!” He argued.

His eyes went back to the screen, watching as they played a video of some random actor doing backflips on the beach.

“Celebrities…” He shook his head.

Gilbert felt quite content for the rest of the day, no headaches making special appearances. The whole show business subject was still bothering him, though. He concluded he was quite lucky to be a simple, small-town med student.


	5. Celebrity Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'This was just ridiculous! It was 10pm on a wednesday night, what could she possibly be doing? She was trying to get pills for her awful cramps, you know, like a freaking regular person would do. Now she was hiding from the camera like she was some kind of drug addict struggling to get her juice.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so hard to write for some reason and it would just refused to end. I hope you like it anyway <3 -Danny

> **_'Eventually soulmates meet,_ **
> 
> **_for they have the same hiding place.'_ **

Gilbert walked into the room and inmediately forgot what he was looking for. What was he looking for?

He stared at the window of his office, it was starting to reflect his face, which meant it was getting darker outside.

 _Right!_ He was looking for his keys so he could close the place. He walked up to the desk and rummaged through the drawers until he found a small and plain set of keys. He went back to the front to get his things when he found a young woman around his age standing in the middle of the waiting room.

* * *

Anne hated being watched.

She understood, people liked her job, she was talented and hadn’t made a scandal like other celebrities her age. Of course the paparazzi were eager to catch her red-handed.

But this was just ridiculous! It was 10pm on a Wednesday night, what could she possibly be doing? She was trying to get pills for her awful cramps, you know, like a freaking regular person would do. Now she was hiding from the camera like she was some kind of drug addict struggling to get her juice.

She wasn’t free to walk to a stupid drugstore without rumors about her mental health or sexual life. It was a nightmare. She walked through dark and lonely streets, risking her safety just to get away from the annoying clicking of that guy’s camera when she saw it, lights on and door wide open: A small clinic.

It was empty, but the lights were on and there was a briefcase on one of the chairs in front of her, so someone was still there. Anne walked in and hugged herself, shaking from the cold and the nerves of having to think of a proper excuse to sit in that room doing nothing.

As she wondered forward into the waiting room, a man walked out of the doctor’s office and grabbed the briefcase; he already had his coat and hat on. Anne felt truly fearful of having to go back out so soon after finding such a good hiding spot.

The man stopped abruptly, eyeing her carefully, maybe afraid of having some unwanted visitor. To be fair, Anne most certainly was unwanted, that man was probably about to leave and take a well deserved break for the day. Still, his eyes showed nothing but worry as he put down the briefcase and stepped closer to take a better look at appeareance.

She was expecting to see his face turning into a look of recognition, perhaps even a smile as he realized she was famous and maybe even asking for a picture, she was ready for all, except the blank look he threw her way.

“Goodnight,” He said in slight confusion. “Can I help you?”

And before she could think it twice, Anne answered with a quick and desperate _‘Yes!’_

* * *

Two things Gilbert knew:

  1. He wanted to go home and have a nice, quiet dinner.
  2. The woman standing in front of him was breathtaking and he couldn’t just leave her like that, not when she looked so… distressed.



“Okay,” He nodded softly, “uh- are you hurt?”

“Someone’s following me,” She said shortly. “It’s all right though, I’m not hurt– Sorry… this place was the first I found open and I just wanted to leave the street…”

Gilbert quickly approached the door and peered through the glass, no one was outside.

“How long have you been walking?” He looked at her over his shoulder.

“About seven minutes?” The woman squinted. “I don’t know, I just wanted to get somewhere safe… I’m sorry, you were about to leave, I’ll go on my way–”

“No,” Gilbert said. He cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I mean, I’d hate to kick you out if there’s any possibility of you getting hurt because of me. I’m a doctor after all, my job is the complete opposite of what that would imply.”

“Okay...” She stepped back, slowly sitting down, a smile made its way to her face as she looked truly relieved. “Thank you, I hate to be a burden, really, but I just… I don’t like to be followed around.”

“Who does?” Gilbert frowned, but he was smiling. “It’s not a problem, we can wait for about twenty minutes, then I can give you a ride if you want?”

“I- uh, yeah,” She nodded. “Sure, that’d be nice.”

“Okay,” He smiled. “If you don’t mind, though, I’m going to lock this door so we don’t have more visitors….”

“Uh, Aren’t…” The redhead frowned. “Aren’t clinics supposed to be open at all times?”

“We're new and we’re short on staff, so sadly it doesn’t run the whole twenty-four hours yet,” Gilbert gave her a shy smile. “I started this from scratch, it’s been quite the journey.”

“Oh, that’s so cool,” Her smile was probably the prettiest thing he’d seen in a long time. “You’re so young! Your parents must be proud…”

“I wish I knew,” He said, avoiding to look at her. “Both are dead, unfortunately..”

“Oh,” She replied, this time more quietly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t… shit, I’m such an idiot.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Gilbert chuckled. “It’s been a while, I’m fine.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” She grinned, then her face went completely red. “Uh- I mean, you look happy, I didn’t mean as in, fine- _fine_ , you know? I wasn’t harrassing you or… oh my god, I should stop talking. Is there a bathroom I can go to and drown?”

Gilbert laughed at that, and he casually pointed to the door at the left corner.

“Right there, but please don’t drown, I’d hate to have someone dying on the first week I open my clinic.”

It was her time to laugh now, she stood up, then stopped again. 

“Actually… well, since you’re a doctor and this is a clinic...” She stood up straighter. “I was on my way to the pharmacy when this guy started to follow me and I couldn’t get what I wanted. Do you have anything that could make the cramps go away?”

“As in period cramps?” He raised a brow.

“Precisely.”

“Sure,” He turned to close the door and the curtains of every front window. “I’ll get them for you in a moment.”

“Thanks,” He heard her say before closing the door.

* * *

Anne was so thankful for this strange man that had received her into his clinic and had offered her a ride home that she barely registered how fishy that could be in any other situation.

But hey, Mr. Doctor was attractive and her hormones were out of control, besides he’d proven himself to be kind of a perfect gentleman.

Of course now she had to live with the fact that she’d accidentally called _hot_ a total stranger. Not that it was a lie, though. It was just completely cringe worthy, nothing like the usual carefree vibe she was used to portray in all of her interviews.

By the time she left the bathroom the man had set a glass of water and a box of pills on the counter for her to take.

“Thanks,” Anne felt like she’d been saying that word often that night, but she didn’t mind at all.

“No problem, I’ll just add them to your bill,” He winked.

“I’ll pay for it, I promise,” Anne chuckled. “It’s your work after all…”

“Those are just painkillers,” He shrugged, “they’re not that hard to get, and I wasn’t working when you came in, so technically I’m not on duty, I’m just helping a new friend.”

“Well, this new friend would like to pay you anyway,” Anne pointed out. “So I will.”

“What’s your name, then?”

“What?”

“I don’t want your money, I just want to know your name,” He replied simply.

Anne thought about it for half a second.

That man clearly had no idea of who she was, being a doctor probably left him with no time to sit around and watch mainstream television, so it made sense he didn’t know her. But there was a bigger chance that he would know her name. She panicked, of course, and instead of just saying Anne, she retorted:

“I’m Ruby Gillis.”

* * *

Gilbert stopped at that, he stared at her sensing something was up.

 _Ruby Gillis._ He knew that name, but somehow the person in front of him didn’t seem to match it, he didn’t know how, but he just knew Ruby wasn’t her name.

 _‘Well alright,’_ He thought, _‘we just met, of course she doesn’t trust me, give her a break.’_

“Ruby,” He said with a smile. “Nice to meet you, I’m Dr. Blythe.”

He could’ve said _Gilbert_ but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by forcing her to call him by his first name. Although he also considered that introducing himself as “Dr.” sounded a bit too self-conceited, but what else was he supposed to do?

“So,” He say, sitting on the counter and swinging his legs like a toddler. “You know what I do for a living, what do you do?”

“I’m a teacher,” She smiled brightly. “Yeah, I teach kids.”

“That’s cool, teachers are cool,” _Oh my god, that was the lamest reply ever._

However she didn’t seem to care.

“Thanks, I get a little frustrated, but it’s all worth it in the end, isn’t it? I mean, being a Doctor must have its challenges too...”

“Oh well, I’m still new, of course it’s terrifying to think I haven’t gotten any real challenges, but I hope I get through them like a champ.”

“Well think of my unexpected arrival as your first challenge, I’d give this meet a ten out of ten, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh definitely,” He raised his eyebrows. “Young doctor takes care of the beautiful damsel? What a quandary!”

 _‘Ruby’_ blushed, and only then he realized what he’d said. Should he take it back? No, that was probably rude. Calling her beautiful without her wanting a compliment was also stepping on the line, wasn’t it? What the hell was going on? Was he twelve?

Then she cleared her throat.

“Anyway…”

“Anyway…” He said right after, though his voice sounded much more affected.

“I think my twenty minutes are over?” She bit her lip, asking rather shyly.

For a moment he even thought she was hinting to something else, almost asking for more time.

But no, surely she wasn’t. Why would she? They just met!

Gilbert jumped down from the counter and stared down at his watch. He had a hard time trying to figure out the numbers, since they kept moving around and some of them even looked like toddler’s writing.

He shook his head and look away, it was probably his tiredness taking a toll on his sight.

“Right,” He sighed. “So about that ride…?”

“If it really isn’t a problem–”

“S’not.”

“Then I’ll take it,” She sighed in relief, “Dr. Blythe, you’re my new hero.”

Gilbert swallowed a groan. He wished she wouldn’t say those things to him so late at night and while standing in the middle of a room, _alone_.

“Let’s go.”

As they walked out of the building and towards the place Gilbert had parked his car, he started to feel uneasy, there was something odd about his surroundings, he just couldn’t tell exactly what.

His lovely company was talking nonstop about the phases of the moon and how beautiful it looked during winter, she told him about how much she missed home. Then she said something that caught his attention.

“What?” He turned so fast that he pulled a muscle.

“I said I love trees,” She grinned.

“No but,” He blinked, “What you said before, about your house?”

“oh,” She tilted her head. “ _Green Gables?”_

Something stood out, he knew that name!

When he was about to ask more about these Green Gables, he finally understood what was wrong.

There was a third echo of footsteps following theirs.

When he turned around to find its source, a bright flash blinded him.

“Shirley!” A man’s voice said. “Shirley, care to tell us who is your new friend? Where are you lovebirds going at eleven thirty on a Wednesday?”

“Go away!” She pulled Gilbert by the sleeve. “Leave me alone, it’s a Wednesday night!”

“Sir,” A man asked Gilbert, he was utterly confused. “Are you and Miss Shirley an item? How long have you been dating?”

“Dating?” He asked in annoyance. “Who are you people?”

“Don’t talk to them,” The girl who now he supposed was _‘Miss Shirley’_ told him. She was holding her phone close to her face and was glaring at the photographer. “Listen buddy, I have your boss on speed dial and if you don’t leave me and my friend alone, I’ll make sure Mrs. Lynde fires you first thing tomorrow morning.”

The man’s face paled at her warning. However she did not wait for his reply.

“Let’s go, Dr. Blythe.”

She dragged him towards the car and Gilbert quickly fumbled with the keys, opening the doors and getting inside the same time as her.

They droved in silence for about three minutes, then the woman bursted into tears and Gilbert nearly crashed the vehicle because he’d tried to hold her out of pure instinct.

“Miss, don’t worry,” He said softly.

“I’m so sorry! I lied!” She said between sobs. “I’m so tired of these photographers following me around, trying to catch me doing something embarrassing, I’m so tired of not being free!”

“I take you’re some sort of celebrity?” Gilbert asked carefully.

“I’m an actress,” She sniffed. “But god, how I wish I had just studied to be a teacher.”

“I’m sorry, I had no idea,” He shook his head. “You must think I’m an asshole…”

“Why, because you didn’t begged for a picture?” She let out a short laugh, cleaning her tears away. “I was actually so happy to find out you didn’t know who I was, it was so refreshing! I miss that, you know? Meeting someone and not having them freak out about who I am, I miss being… human, unimportant… unnoticed.”

Gilbert didn’t find it in himself to tell her she could definitely light up a room without trying and it had nothing to do with her fame. He thought it’d look like he was trying to get something out of it.

“If it makes you feel better,” Gilbert said with a small smile. “I think you’re perfectly regular-looking.”

She laughed again, lighter this time. Miss Shirley took out a tissue from her pocket and gently whipped her nose. It was adorable.

“I should return the compliment by saying that you’re really good looking _for a doctor._ ”

Gilbert snorted, nodding with solemnity.

“I get that a lot.”

“Don’t let it get over your head, Blythe.”

They remained silent, though this time it felt much more comfortable than before. Gilbert giggled.

“What?” She asked with curiosity.

“Well,” He grinned. “What if I had charged the bill to Ruby Gillis right there and then? Poor woman!”

Miss Shirley laughed, shaking her head.

“Of course not! I would’ve given you my credit card!” She rummage through her stuff. “Which reminds me, I still need to pay for those pills…”

“Oh, yes you do,” Gilbert glance at her, his eyebrow raised. “But that’s only cause you gave me a fake name, and I asked for the real one. So tell me, Miss Shirley, what’s your first name?”

“You sure you don’t prefer my money?” She smirked.

“I really don’t,” He said softly.

The car stopped at a red light and he turned to her, his expectation practically palpable at this point. Miss Shirley chuckled lightly, she opened her mouth to speak and…

**_BANG!_ **

“Sorry!” Mary’s voice woke him up, he’d fallen asleep on the counter; in front of him there was a tray filled with wet glasses and plates for him to clean. "Hey, now that you’re awake you can help us out and do the dishes, right?”

Gilbert groaned, but nodded anyway.

“Sorry, must’ve fallen asleep…”

“You don’t say,” Bash walked out of the kitchen holding a few tablecloths, he was grinning. “You passed out after cleaning the first round of dishes, I told Mary to give you some time to nap, but it’s been an hour, so get to work you moke!”

“Yeah, yeah…” He grabbed the cloth he was using an hour before and stopped, his hand lingering above the glass. “Bash?”

“Hmm?”

“I had a weird dream...”

“Were you a peanut fighting to not get eaten?”

“No I- _what?_ No!” He gave him a weird look. “No, I mean, I had a dream and someone we know was there, but she didn’t look like herself… you know?”

“No, I don’t.”

Gilbert groaned.

“I think I dreamt with that Ruby girl,” He frowned. “You know, the blonde one? Just that she wasn’t blonde and her face was completely different to what it actually is…”

“You better don’t tell Moody you’re having dreams about his sweetheart,” Bash teased.

“It wasn’t like that!" He frowned. "I mean, it sort of was but it wasn’t really her… was it?”

“Well, our brains always do things like that, changes the faces and surroundings, perhaps you just used Ruby’s name because that’s the name your brain decided to give this mistery girl. Are you sure you weren’t dreaming with Ruby? She’s cute, I’d understand…”

“Ruby’s not the girl in my dream…”

“Crushin' on a fantasy, are we?” Bash snorted. “Brother, you need to get laid _soon_.”

“Can you stop saying that?” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to have sex!”

At that moment an old couple decided to walk into the Orchard, but stopped at the young man’s statement, their faces distorted with disgust.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just the janitor,” Bash told them in amusement.

The couple just walked to the corner that was further away from Gilbert.

“I do not need sex,” He pouted, his voice barely above a mumble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think, do you have any tropes/au's you'd like to see here? -Danny


	6. Kindred Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gangs enjoying their free time and a bit more of background story ig

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess what their next AU/dream will be about? lmao -Danny

_**Anne to ‘Golden Trio’:**_ I know you were looking forward to our party this weekend but I just got my period and I’m DYING so… rain check?

 _ **Cole:**_ Bitch-

 _ **Diana:**_ Oh, no! :( I hate when that happens, but it’s okay, we can wait!

 ** _Cole:_** I just want you to appreciate my friendship right now cause I’m on the verge of throwing myself over a cliff but fine, I have no uterus, no opinion. I’ll have to stand these beasts a while longer

 ** _Diana:_** Those are your nieces, nephews and siblings you’re talking about, Cole…

 ** _Cole:_** And I love them but doesn’t mean they don’t suck

 ** _Anne:_** I love you so much Cole, I promise next week it’s on!

Anne dropped her phone on her nightstand, then it buzzed once more, she groaned but picked it up anyway, Josie's name on the screen.

 ** _Josie:_** Ruby’s having a crisis. Waiter guy won’t answer his phone and now she’s on the verge of shaving her head.

 ** _Anne:_** goddamit I just got my period, I’m still on my pj’s!

 ** _Josie:_** We can go to your place? I really don’t want to deal with Ruby on my own...

Anne bit her lip, she had the tendency to lack patience during her periods, but the girls needed her, so she couldn’t say no.

 ** _Anne to ‘Golden Trio’:_** If you guys feel like witnessing some drama Josie’s heading to my place with a "Pink Crisis."

 ** _Cole:_** Fuck, did that waiter broke things off with Ruby already?

 _ **Anne:**_ Apparently he’s not answering her texts and Ruby’s about to go crazy.

 ** _Cole:_** I’m in. Anything as long as I can leave the house.

**_Diana:_** Sorry, I was talking with Minnie May

 ** _Diana:_** btw I’m in too, let me see if I can take the car and I’ll pick you up _@Cole_

 ** _Cole:_** Cool, text me when you’re coming.

Anne dropped her phone again, this time on her pillow, and got up to let tell Marilla and Matthew that the girls plus Cole were coming. A strange thought came to her as she got up from bed. She felt like there was something missing, something was out of place, or unfinished. Was she supposed to text someone? Had she missed an appointment?

 _A doctor's appointment_ , said a voice at the back of her head.

Anne snorted at the absurdity of that, she knew there was no doctor's appointment scheduled, what the hell was wrong with her? Maybe it was just the hormones...

* * *

Bash was still not over the fact that Gilbert had had a “wet dream” about Moody’s girl and kept teasing whenever he could. It wasn’t Ruby though, Gilbert knew that, somehow.

He was sure that the girl in his dreams had red hair and grey eyes. Or blue, he couldn’t remember well. Either way, as the afternoon went away he started to forget. Sure enough, it’d been nice, he woke up feeling some sort of strange joy for the rest of his shift until it was time to close the diner, then his mind drifted to the dishes he needed to clean and the bills they had to pay.

While Mary was upstairs putting Delly to bed Bash sat next to him on the living room, making sure to mess up the comfortable position Gilbert was in by putting his legs on the boy's lap and laying on the whole lenght of the couch.

“Sometimes I feel like you’re the real twenty-year-old in this house and I’m the parent,” Gilbert rolled his eyes, pushing Bash’s legs away.

“That’s cause you’re always grumpy. You know why you always grumpy, Blythe?” Bash smirked.

“I don’t want to know.”

“It’s because you need to get laid.”

“There we go…”

“Why can’t you be a normal young adult and get one of those apps to hook up?”

“Because everytime I try it, all I think about is how I could end up murdered or sick- Do you want me to die of syphilis, Bash? Is that what you want?”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

“I’m not that desperate for sex, anyway.”

“I don’t wanna know the context of that sentence at all,” Mary walked in holding a basket full of Delly’s clothes. “But since you have all this free time to talk about your sex life, why don’t you help me with the girl’s stuff and fold them while I make myself a cup of tea?”

“Sure,” Gilbert agreed, happy to change the subject.

* * *

“Am I asking too much? Does god hate me?”

The group groaned in exasperation at Ruby’s inquires.

“I think you should finish your tea and breathe,” Diana said patiently.

“What she needs is to get her shit together and understand that it’s the twenty-first century. No man is going to propose to you after a drunk make-out session, Ruby!” Josie rolled her eyes.

“I know that!” Ruby said defensively. “But he’d been so nice even before that... I thought he liked me!”

“Maybe he does,” Anne said. “You have to remember that it’s Christmas, maybe he’s shopping? Maybe his phone got busted? I don’t know, give him the benefit of the doubt!”

“You know what my advice is,” Cole said simply.

“Yes,” Diana and Anne said at the same time.

“I’m gonna say it anyway. Dump the idiot and live your best life. Why are you trying to have a serious relationship when half of the boys in college are desperately trying to get in your pants?”

“Are you trying to get her pregnant or with syphilis? Because that’s how you do it, that's how you get syphilis,” Anne said crossed her arms. “She doesn’t have to sleep around to be happy! She just needs to be logical!”

“Okay, Dr. Heart, what do you recommend?” Josie huffed.

Anne whined and curled up under the covers. Ruby and Josie were sitting at the edge of her bed while Diana and Cole laid casually on the floor, their heads against the pillows Anne had given them so they weren’t completely flat on the ground.

“I don’t know, I’ve never dated a guy for more than a month.”

“Ew, Roy,” Cole said instantly.

“But maybe… I don’t know, do you have his intagram or something?”

“I do,” Ruby sniffed. “I haven’t checked it cause I didn’t want to look desperate and you know how I always accidentally like old pictures…”

“Facebook?”

“No...”

“If you have his instagram, you have his facebook,” Cole said.

“How come?”

“Give me your phone,” His hand lifted from the ground, Ruby gave it to him.

“Okay, so we decided to go full stalker then,” Josie said bluntly.

“It’s either this or…” Anne stopped herself before saying _‘or hearing Ruby mop for another three hours’_ but managed to hold her tongue just in time.

“This is for the best,” Diana replied almost as if talking of a medical procedure.

“Can someone go to the bathroom and fetch me the painkillers?” Anne groaned.

“I’ll go, see if I can drown myself in the toilet,” Josie mumbled. “I can’t believe you guys are my best friends…”

Anne laughed at that. Truth be told, Josie and her weren’t exactly close during their youth, Josie even sort of made her life a living hell for a whole year during Junior high, then some random dude tried to take advantage of her during a school dance and Anne stood up for her in front of the whole school. Josie spent the rest of her highschool years making up for her bad actions by defending Anne from any nasty comments anyone would throw her way.

She kept this up even during college, and Anne would’ve gladly told her it wasn’t necessary if it wasn’t because Josie seemed to get more insulted whenever Anne tried to point it out than if she was actually insulting her.

“You know what I’d love to have right now?” Anne yawned.

“A nap?”

“I’d love to have one of those god awful pancakes they used to make in our highschool’s cafeteria. God, they were awful, but for some reason I’m craving those fucking pancakes...”

“You ever crave flowers?” Diana asked absentmindedly.

“What?” Anne laughed. “What do you mean?”

“Like, you walk past a flower shop and you see a gorgeous bouquet, and then some random day you’re like, _‘Man, I wish I had the bouquet, it’d look amazing on my coffee table'_ ”

“I… no– wow, I think it’s the first time you've beat me, Diana. That was the weirdest thing I’ve heard in a while.”

“Oh please, you love flowers, you must have felt that way at some point!”

“No, I swear,” Anne sat up. “I mean, maybe because if I see pretty flowers I just buy them, never been one to say no to buying flowers.”

“That’s the reason why our flat always stinks like gardenia, or roses, or lilies…” Cole adds distractedly.

“You know,” Ruby said, a bit calmer than before. “No boy has ever given me a bouquet.”

“That makes two of us,” Anne patted her knee.

“Three,” said Cole.

* * *

“So, Moody got mugged as soon as he left the bus station yesterday,” Gilbert sighed.

“Oh god, is he alright?” Winnie asked through the phone.

Winifred was back in town for the holidays, and she had many stories to tell about Paris and the girls she’d met there. She was one of Gilbert’s best friends from highschool, if not the only he still had from that time apart from Moody.

They were planning to have lunch the next day, but she’d called him to let him know she was home now, safe and sound, and they were chatting the night away.

“Yeah, a black eye and no phone or wallet, but fine,” Gilbert chuckled. “What’s worse is that he’s not even mad about that, he's upset that he won’t be able to text his girl...”

“What?!” She gasped. “I didn’t know Moody had a girlfriend!”

“He doesn’t,” The boy squinted. “Well, I think they saw each other the other night at the bar and they kissed, but I’m not so sure.”

“Right, because you were utterly shit-faced.”

“Yup.”

He heard her laugh.

“I miss you two so much! Honestly, sometimes I feel like french guys lack sense of humor.”

“Oh, but I bet the girls were quite amusing, considering you oficially dated at least two of them throughout the semester,” He teased.

“Didn’t say I wasn’t having fun,” Winnie replied, he could pictured her smirking. “Looks like the only one who’s got no game is Canada’s Golden Boy! What’s the matter, Gilbert? No girl is worthy of your charms? Are you waiting until marriage?”

“Not quite,” He grinned. “I’ve been busy studying, that’s all.”

“I worry about you, don’t want to see you in ten years all grey and grumpy.”

“That's awfully rude, Bash is not grey and he’s ten years older than us!”

“Yeah but I’ve heard that if you don’t have sex you die faster.”

“That’s the biggest slander I’ve ever heard. Don’t try to scare the future Doctor with fake news!”

“Well, future Doctor, I just want to make sure you don’t end up as the spinster of our group. Not that is bad, if you want to be alone that’s cool, but please don’t be a bitter one, you know, like those old librarians?”

“So what should I be then, the old spinster that invites you to have tea every sunday?”

“Yeah, you could even own a coffee shop- oh wait, you do!”

“Rude,” Gilbert frowned, but he was still smiling. “The Orchard is not a coffee shop, just so you know.“

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Winnie chuckled. “See you tomorrow?”

“Totally.”

* * *

“Got it!”

The girls straightened up at Cole’s announcement, all of them excited.

“And?” Diana urged him.

“Good news or bad news?”

“Bad news,” Cole looked up. “He posted this five hours ago…”

He handed the phone to Diana, then she gave it to Anne, there she read the most recent post on his page:

**_‘Someone stole my phone and wallet, please block the number in the meantime. If you need me you can send a private message here.’_ **

“Could’ve been worse,” Anne gave the phone back to Ruby so she could read what it said.

Ruby sighed heavily.

“He doesn’t hate me.”

“Of course not, you’re a ray of freaking sunshine,” Josie retorted.

“I still think this is god giving you the opportunity to reconsider,” Cole replied. “Don’t commit, Ruby, you’re too young to get married–”

“She won’t get married!” Diana slapped his arm, then hesitated. “Well, at least not anytime soon... right, Ruby?”

“It’s late, children,” Marilla peeked through the door. “You can have dinner here if you want, we have room for all of you, but if you don’t then I suggest you to say your goodbyes now...”

“Thank you Marilla,” Anne smiled. “They’ll be on their way.”

“You can stay the night if you want as well,” Marilla added. “Matthew and I missed the fuss you kids make around the house whenever Anne invites you.”

“That’s so kind, thank you,” Ruby beamed.

Marilla left and Anne turned to look at the group.

“So any of you want to stay?”

“You know I do,” Cole smirked.

“Same,” Josie admitted. “My mom's being a pain right now: _‘Are you dating someone, love?’ ‘Will you ever give me grandchildren?’_ ”

“I’d like to stay too,” Ruby said, deep in thought. “I know he’s not avoiding me, but I really don’t want to sleep alone tonight…”

“You have two younger sisters, Ruby.”

“It’s not the same!”

“See?” Cole said. “Ruby gets it!”

“I’ll have to pass,” Diana sighed. “My dad needs the car tomorrow morning, last minute shopping.”

“We still have next week,” Anne assured her with a small smile.


	7. Blythe's Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I need to say ‘fuck you’ in the most lavish way possible,” She blurted out, slamming fifty bucks on the counter. “Make the most offensive bouquet you can think of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on that iconic "imagine your otp..." tumblr post bc it just felt adequate for shirbert -Danny

> **_It's been very rare to have known you,_ **
> 
> **_very strange and wonderful._ **
> 
> **_-F. Scott Fitzgerald._ **

“Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen!” Gilbert said as soon as he opened the door. “Hope you had a great night– Winter won’t defeat us, guys!” He dropped his bag behind the counter and put on his apron, ready to start the day.

It was then that an extremely cute, disheveled woman, barged into his flower shop and yelled:

“I need to say _‘fuck you’_ in the most lavish way possible,” She slammed fifty bucks on the counter. “Make the most offensive bouquet you can think of.”

* * *

Done was an understatement. Anne was sick of this push and pull situation with her exboyfriend.

He’d lied, cheated, and then played the victim part all too well for his own good, and she was about to pluck it all out. She had the screenshots, she had the love letters that were filled with lies. She had everything, and she only needed to add the cherry on top.

“Um- Hi,” The man behind the counter said clumsily. “I- uh, I… did you just say you want to give someone an offensive bouquet?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” She said defensively. “I’m not the bitch in this story! He had it coming for months!”

“Alright, okay,” He raised his hands. “None of my business…”

The man looked around the shop like he had no idea where to start.

“Uhh… Oh! Okay so, did he cheat?”

“Excuse me?” Anne blinked.

“Well, I have foxglove over here…” He walked around the counter to show her the pinkish flowers. “They're all about insincerity… I guess it doesn’t need to be about cheating…”

“Oh but he did!” Anne growled, looking at the flowers as if they were making fun of her. “For five fucking months! Can you believe it?”

The poor guy stepped back at her outburst, raising his eyebrows in slight panic and grabbing a bunch.

“Okay, foxglove it is…” He mumbled. “I also have geraniums, but I consider their looks a bit too friendly for this situation, though they represent stupidity in some cases…”

“Stupidity fits nicely in my bouquet,” She sentenced.

“Sunflowers are perfect for this!” The man said, excited about finally getting a hold of the situation. “False and haughty people...”

“I thought I was the only flower-nerd in town,” Anne couldn’t help a little smirk to show up at the man’s eagerness. “Of course, that was a silly thought considering you _own_ a flower shop.”

“If you’re gonna do something, you better do it thoroughly, right?” He shrugged, picking more flowers as he walked back to the counter.

“Yes,” She agreed. “Where does one learn so much about flowers and their meaning, though?”

He stopped for a second and looked at her like he’d never been asked that question before.

“I…” He frowned. “Huh, well… books?”

“That makes sense,” Anne grinned. “Flowers are one of the most beautiful creations on earth, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” He nodded. “They’re fresh, vibrant, and they smell good!”

“They feed the bees!”

“They feed _me_ ,” He snorted, grabbing a sunflower and talking to it. “Thank you for that, Madame.”

Anne beamed at the sight. _‘What a dork’_ she thought.

She shook her head then. No! She was there because a man had broken her heart, she wasn’t going to allow _another_ man to have his way with her so soon after Roy. Not today, Satan.

* * *

Did he seriously talk to a flower in front of the pretty costumer?

Yes, and he would be cringing about it for the rest of his life.

“So,” He cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. “This guy… is he an exboyfriend?”

The woman stood in silence for about ten seconds. He was about to apologize and say it was clearly none of his business when she let out a scoff.

“I mean, yes. Obviously,” She stated. “I wouldn’t be buying a bouquet that says _fuck you_ to my father.”

“Well, some people have shitty parents, and sometimes saying _‘fuck you’_ to their faces only makes things worse, so...”

“My father is lovely,” Her voiced softened. “But I do get your point… I guess that if you have a knack for theatricality, insulting your parents without them knowing must be cathartic.”

“I agree, though my dad was also great,” He smiled, then looked down at the bouquet he was making. “This guy, however…”

“Roy,” She sneered. “He’s a twat.”

“I see,” Gilbert eyed her carefully. “I’m sorry if I’m being too snoopy, but why are you paying for this when you could just delete his number and keep going?”

“Because he’ll propose to one of my college friends today,” She had that dangerous glint back in her eyes. “And I’m about to give her the best engagement gift she could’ve asked for.”

“Oh,” Gilbert tilted his head. “Was she… uh, the one that..?”

“I don’t know,” The girl brushed it off like that really wasn’t her priority. “For all I know, he’s been sleeping with different girls while dating me, so she could very well be one.”

“Ugh,” Gilbert grimaced. “that’s exactly how you get syphilis…”

“Right!?” She replied heatedly. “I went to the doctor as soon as I found out, he’s so gross! Luckily I was fine, but I hope he gets rabies.”

Gilbert let out a childish laugh.

“That’s not an STD,” He replied stupidly.

 _Seriously, just kill me already_ , Gilbert begged silently, but she smiled.

“A girl can dream…”

“Well, all done,” He said after two minutes of carefully mingling the flowers.

She examined the bouquet, an astonished smile on her face.

“It’s amazing! If I didn’t know what it meant I’d say it’s beautiful...”

“Anger can be pretty too,” He replied simply, the image of her sudden intrusion and her frown in his mind.

“You’re right,” She grinned, then rummaged through her pockets. “How much, then?”

“Oh no,” Gilbert frowned, lifting a hand. “Just take it.”

* * *

“W-What?” Anne blinked in surprised.

“I won’t stand here and watch you pay for this,” His eyebrows were scrunched down, but his mouth was slightly turning into an amused grin. “It’d be rude.”

“Rude?” She let out an incredulous laugh. “It’s your job!”

“It’s for your exboyfriend,” He replied. “I won’t let you spend money on a person that sounds like trash!”

“I can’t accept it for free!” Anne rolled her eyes. “I’ll have my gratification later, when Lauren finds out what an absolute ass her fiance is!”

“Wait, what?” The man tilted his head. “Didn’t you say he was going to propose today?”

“Well yeah, but it’s not exactly a surprise, they’re making a whole lunch date to make it official–” She shook her head, realizing how surreal it was to share all this private information with a stranger. “Listen- uh, What’s your name?”

He was about to reply when a second costumer entered, distracting him from the chat.

“Hello,” She watched as he straighten his posture and smiled warmly at the person. “I’ll be with you in a second,” then he turned back to her. “Listen, whatever you’re doing, I hope you don’t hurt the girl too much, she’s not to blame–”

“I know that!” Anne replied in slight outrage. “I’m not making this to rub it on her face, I’m trying to make her see he’s not what she thinks he is!”

“Okay, fine!” He whispered back in the same tone, raising his hands in defeat. “Just making sure…”

“Here,” She tried to shove the fifty bucks on his hand. “Please, just take the money.”

“I won’t,” He chuckled, softly pushing her hand away along with the bill. “Tell you what, don’t pay me in cash. But please, do come back after you’ve done your whole romantical heist to tell me how’d it go, you can’t leave me like this.”

His eyebrows then raised in expectation, a pleading smile on his face as he patiently waited for her reply.

“I…” Anne hesitated, then bravely offered, “only if you let me buy you lunch so we can talk about it during your break- if you have a break, I mean, I don’t see anyone else working here…”

His eyes shone at the mention of a shared lunch, wich she found endearing.

“See you later, then,” She mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious about her offering. She grabbed the flowers and stopped once more. “Oh! Sorry, I almost forgot- what was your name, then?”

He smiled widely, extending one hand for her to shake before leaving.

_“Gilbert.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters on the same week? I'm so proud of myself, even if they're not so good ahshdsh -Danny


	8. 2nd. Déjà Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s okay to dream,” Muriel said reassuringly. “Real life can be magical if you look at the right things, if you pay enough attention.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that whenever Gilbert is working in a dream and Anne enters his work place he'll give her everything for free and I think that's very in character ngl -Danny

> _**'We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.'** _
> 
> _**- **Carson McCullers.**** _

"Anne, I’m sorry!” Cole called from the other side of the door, “If I had known that finding out about that asshole’s engagement was going to upset you like this, I would’ve kept my mouth shut…”

“You couldn’t take a guess?” Josie scoffed, leaning against the wall beside him. She continued in a whisper, "She's on her period, and you thought it'd be okay to just drop the bomb?"

Anne opened the door abruptly, almost causing her friend to fall forward into the bathroom. Her face was still red from anger, but there was no sign of tears treatening to come out.

“He’s a monster!” She yelled, making a bee line back to her bedroom. “First tries to make me believe I’m the love of his life and that he’s the man of my dreams, and then cheats– now he’s telling the same tale to one of my classmates he met thanks to me! What the actual fuck?!”

“Anne,” Ruby said tentatively. “I think that you need us to leave you alone...”

“What?” Her eyes widening. “No, no, no, no, please don’t leave, please don’t go, I need you here! I thought I was going to be better in the morning but I had this dream… and the nightmare from real life just continued, Roy and Lauren were inviting me to their wedding and I was so upset! I was plotting to ruin their party, I was… oh, it was so out of control– don't you dare say this is because I'm on my period, Josie!” She glared at the blonde in front of her, who just raised her hands in surrender.

“Then let’s do something,” Cole put one hand on her shoulder, “let’s go downtown, let’s visit Muriel! I bet she’s eager to see us, c’mon Anne, you love visiting her...”

“Maybe we could ask her about her husband?” Anne asked, suddenly hopeful. “Her love story could give me hope.”

“For what?”

“For believing love not is not yet another scam of society,” She sentenced.

“ _Oh my god,_ ” Josie let out a tired sigh. “Fine, we’ll visit her, but please take a shower first, you stink of anger and drool.”

* * *

There she was again, the same girl. Was it the _same_ girl? Gilbert couldn’t remember her face at all, but both definitely had the same red hair, the same soft-looking skin…

“Gilbert, you’re spilling coffe on the table!” Mary’s yell brought him back instantly.

With a start he lifted the kettle and stopped pouring the liquid onto his cup, it was filled to the brim. He let out a tired sigh and reached out for a napkin.

“Sorry,” He mumbled. “I was thinking…”

“A bit too much,” The woman raised a brow. “What is it this time, a scholarship you’re trying to get? An essay that might’ve been one page too long?”

“A dream,” He said quietly.

“A dream,” Mary shook her head skeptically. “You can't even rest while sleeping, then? I’m glad Winnie’s taking you out for the day, Lord knows you need a distraction...”

Winnie arrived at two o’clock, punctual as usual. She was holding a bouquet of flowers that were meant to be for Dellie, but the little girl was having a nap, so she left them on the kitchen counter.

“Sunflowers,” Gilbert raised his eyebrows. “You’re trying to call us haughty?”

“What?” Winnie tilted her head. “No, I just thought they were pretty– Hold on, that's their meaning? How the hell do you know that?”

“I…” Gilbert smiled faded. “I think I dreamt about it.”

Winnie laughed at this.

“You dreamt about it, so it must be real, right?” She shook her head. “Come on, Gilbert, it’s time to get you out of the house.”

* * *

“Anne, why are you stopping?”

The redhead was standing outside a flower shop, she was glancing at it inquisitively, as if pondering whether to take a quick look or keep walking.

“Anne?” Cole called her softly. “Are you okay?”

“What if I do exactly like in my dream?” She asked absentmindedly. “Is it too petty to buy a bouquet just to say _'fuck you'_?”

“Very,” Cole raised a brow. “It’s classy though, I like your style.”

“We can talk about whether you should buy your ex venomous flowers once we’re at Muriel’s,” Josie pulled both of them forward. “Let’s go, she’s waiting for us!”

The woman was delighted to receive her former students, they sat in the small dining room and talked for hours until lunchtime. Anne was in a much lighter mood, and offered to prepare a meal, to which they responded with skeptical looks.

“Don’t worry,” Anne rolled her eyes. “I’ll stay far from the oven. Honestly, you burn something once and everyone acts like you’ve been ten years in jail for arson…”

Ruby, Cole and Josie remained at the table while Muriel and Anne entered the kitchen.

“How’s my best student coping with college?”

“You ask that every time I come to visit,” Anne grinned. “And it’s always the same answer. I’m fine, it has been kind to me, it's nothing I can’t handle.”

“Cole told me something happened,” Muriel leaned against the counter. “He said you wanted to ask me about my husband?”

“Oh,” Anne looked up from the bowl she was rinsing, a blush covering her cheeks. “Yeah, I did say that but you know me, I was… upset. You know I tend to be dramatic–”

“If it makes it easier for you, I’d love to tell you about my Jonah, not many people ask me about him, they think I’ll get upset,” Muriel smiled. “It’s been quite some time now and to be honest, talking about him feels different now, the further the memories are, the sweeter they taste.”

Anne wasn’t sure she understood what Muriel was saying, but it encouraged her enough to ask.

“Was it love at first sight? Did you know it’ll be him?”

“Oh no,” She chuckled. “We got along right away, yes, but we didn’t date until our last year in Uni, when all was a bit quieter. Just then we realized that it was always meant to be that way, us together.”

“Did you had partners before him?” Anne went redder. “I’m sorry, is not my business–”

Muriel laughed.

“Anne calm down, I said that you could ask, didn’t I? We’re friends, it’s fine,” She stayed quiet for a moment. “Hmm… well, I only had one official boyfriend before him when I was in highschool, I dated a few kids and never settled– Now, don’t look at me like that!” She laughed, “I was not a heartbreaker, every single sweetheart left with a smile, I think they knew it wasn’t meant to last. I have the feeling that all humans have the ability to know when a person is meant to be with them.”

“I never felt it,” Anne lowered her gaze, “I mean, Roy was the first man I ever dated, he talked about big plans and a future together… but it didn’t matter how much I liked him, how beautiful he was, I never felt the thrill.”

“Sometimes is not thrill what takes over you,” Muriel replied, “sometimes, it’s a subtle tickling on the tip of your fingers, the anticipation that comes a second before you walk into the rain, when you can feel the breeze on your face and… am I making any sense?”

“Yes,” Anne said breathlessly. “Like knowing what’s coming because it’s right in front of you, yet there's something stopping you from having it and remains there, unreachable until you are ready to walk up to it…”

“Exactly,” The woman smiled. “Love is different for everyone, Anne, and most times is not a fairytale, but we make it work when we are with the right person.”

“I suppose you’re right,” She walked up to the fridge. “I’m an adult, I shouldn’t be daydreaming with princes coming to my rescue- especially since I do not need to be saved from anything, my life is great. It’s silly, I'm a grown up now but still have such a childish spirit.” 

“It’s okay to dream,” Muriel said reassuringly. “Real life can be magical if you look at the right things, if you pay enough attention.”

“The little things in life?” She looked over her shoulder as she kept handing ingredients to her former teacher.

“Yes, but also no,” The woman frowned, a little smile playing on her lips. “It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it in a long time...”

“What thing?”

“A month before Jonah and I got together I was having the weirdest déjà vu’s… whenever I was with him it was like watching a scene I had already lived out in a dream, so strange…”

“I read once that when you dream about someone, in a romantic way, that means that person is also thinking about you!” Anne said with excitement. “Maybe he was dreaming about you too!”

“I never asked him,” Muriel shook her head, “what a shame, if he was indeed dreaming of me, that would’ve been such a romantical tale to tell you, I’m sorry I can’t confirm your lovely story.”

“You can’t deny it either,” Anne winked. “That’s enough for me.”

“All this time I thought I’d dreamt about him simply because I was thinking him too much during the day,” Muriel laughed. “It’s so much better to see it through your eyes! I might need to change my version of the story.”

“I had a dream this morning,” Anne giggled. “I was buying Roy a bunch of flowers to tell him to fuck off,” She laughed louder at Muriel’s expression. “Am I allowed to swear in front of you? It feels so weird… anyway, I was buying flowers and the poor man helping me…” She felt a giddy as soon as she remembered him, “he had to deal with my anger while still being completely helpful, if only real people were as patient as he was when I rambled on about my ex and how much of an asshole he was!”

“I hope you gave him a lot of imaginary money for helping you,” Muriel joked.

“Oh, he wouldn’t take it,” Anne rolled her eyes, a silly smile on her face. “That's my childish self, imagining a flourist man- a very handsome flourist man- just giving away his work to me for free, like some sort of selfless hero,” She chuckled. “Well, not so selfless. I remember him asking me to go back and have lunch with him. I mean, I offered the lunch part, but he was the one who asked me to go back…”

“Looks like the mistery man managed to charmed you. I thought the dream was about your ex but it sounds like you were having a jolly time with the flourist!”

“I was,” Anne shook her head. “I have no self-control, even in my dreams I'm incapable of keeping it in my pants.”

“Anne!” Muriel exclaimed over Anne’s cackles. “You’re right, it does feel strange listening to my former student talk like a sailor.”

“A sailor?” Anne asked, still laughing. “More like a pirate! Ahoy, you dirty animals! Hold the anchors! Let’s go south and kill those ravenous monsters while we steal their gold! Captain Shirley doesn’t have time for this buffoonery!”

“Oh Captain, my Captain!” Muriel replied, following the joke. “If you consider it addecuate, we shall start cooking!”

“Oh,” Anne looked down at the untouched ingredients. “Yeah, we should do that.”

* * *

“...And then I told her we could still be friends, but I wasn’t looking for anything serious,” Winnie shrugged, finishing her drink.

“Did she cry?”

“She understood, I told her since the start. I wasn’t leading her on or anything, but I guess she’d grown fond of me, she did cry a little, yeah.”

“Winifred Rose, you must be a nightmare back in Paris,” Gilbert snorted.

“Well I’m not lying, am I? I tell them exactly what I want since the start and they agree!”

“Probably just because they’re too distracted by your looks to actually listen to what you’re saying,” He teased.

“Well that’s on them,” Winnie raised her brow. “Now really, I know you said you’ve had zero fun, but c’mon, there’s gotta be someone…”

“You mean like a prospect?” Gilbert took a quick sip of his coke while Winnie nodded. “I told you before, I don’t have any.”

“Why?” She tilted her head. “I didn’t raise you to be like this, Blythe.” The man laughed.

Winnie was a year older than him, when he was a freshman in Highschool she had taken him under her wing, she was popular (and wealthy) so Moody and him had a decent time during their adolescent years. That if you didn’t take into account the time his father got sick and died, which had been the majority of three years.

“You want me to be honest?” He let out a sigh. “I guess that if I tried, I could make time to go out and meet new people, if I were _that_ eager to go out and… Have something.”

“But?”

“You’re gonna laugh at me.”

“Of course I will, but that doesn’t mean I’ll think less of you!” Winnie saw his distress and her smile faded a little. “I’ve known you long enough to know that you’re not the type to sleep around with strangers. I thought that you would at least try to meet someone and see how it goes, though. Formal relationships are not that hard to find, you know?”

“I know,” Gilbert shook his head. “Every time I consider it, just when I’m this close to ask you or Moody to set me up with someone you think would be a good fit for me, something just stops me. It’s like I’m stuck in one place, waiting around for a girl to pull me out of where I’m drowning.”

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly,” When Gilbert gave his agreement, she continued. “What's stopping you? Is it that you’re secretely gay, or is it that you actually met someone, and you don’t want to tell us who she is?”

“I’m not gay, Winnie,” Gilbert rubbed his forehead. “I’m being honest, I feel like I’m on pause. I don’t know, maybe I met my soulmate and I fucked up so now the universe is forcing me to turn around and find my way back, or I could be losing my mind,” He joked. “It certainly feels like I am, lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid,” He shrugged, signaling to the waiter so he could bring them the check. “I had this dream two times in a row, or more like I dreamt about this girl two times already…”

“So there _is_ a girl!”

“No!- Not really. She’s not… I think I’ve seen her before,” Gilbert frowned, struggling to remember something besides her striking red hair. “Maybe on tv? She might be a minor celebrity… I’m so sure I’ve seen her somewhere in real life, there’s no way I’m dreaming about her with such clarity…”

“Gilbert you’re not making any sense," Winnie raised a brow. “If I’m honest, it does sound like you’re losing your mind.”

Gilbert gave up on trying to explain, he didn’t know what he was trying to say anyway, so what was the point? He hung his head low and kept on rubbing the weariness out of his temples. He felt like crying but didn’t know why; the more he thought about this girl, the more the void got bigger and bigger, like having some kind of treasure handed to him only to watch it disappear just as quickly.

“How about,” Winnie started, “I’ll stop nagging about finding you a date until New Year’s Eve. It’s the Orchard’s anniversary, right?”

“Yeah, the fiftieth,” He said. “Why is it important?”

“I’d like you to have someone on your side by then, the anniversary's on January, I know, but your father would’ve wanted you to build a life outside school and work, if you let me find you a nice girl…”

Gilbert frowned, it wasn’t that easy, and it was low to bring up his father so casually when he was well aware that he hadn’t done the one thing his father had asked him before dying, which was to live a life full of love and adventures. He knew this, but he couldn’t stop now… could he?

Or was he stopping himself because he was, as Bash had kindly put it, crushing on a fantasy? Some sort of dream-mermaid lurking in the back of his mind, ready to eat him up and finish him when least expect it…

“I’ll think about it,” He mumbled awkwardly.


	9. Captain Shirley and Prince Blythe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even sure this made sense at all but you know what, I didn't write this to make sense I wrote it so I could have shirbert without plot on the daily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know very little about pirates and how they talk to each other but I tried to make it bearable so please don't be mean jsjsjs -Danny

> **_ Try not  _ **
> 
> **_ to  _ **
> 
> **_ forget me. _ **

Gilbert woke up with the sea breeze hitting his face, the rotten fish also accompanying him on this journey, though he had no time for feeling sick, he had to find his way to Captain Shirley's room. It was easy if we were talking about finding it, harder if you take into account the fact that no one else could see him enter.

Why was he doing this in the first place? Easy.

Captain Shirley was the most vicious human to ever sail across the seven seas, and she had stolen something valuable from Gilbert's father, who was none other that the King of Prince Edward Island. Gilbert, being the impulsive young prince he was, decided to infiltrate the lines of this redheaded pirate in order to retrieve his father's treasure and take it back to safety. 

There was a slight issue with this plan, though. Gilbert was infatuated with Shirley, and each day on that ship only meant a day more closer to irrevocably fall in love with her.

As he silently moved through the dark and cold night, Gilbert heard most of the tripulation downstairs, getting drunk or loudly snoring on their hammocks, he saw the dim candle light coming from the door in front of him, and he quietly opened it.

That was it, all he had to do was to kill the Captain and take back his father's crown back to where it belonged. He entered, the enticing smell of wine and dry flowers filling his lungs, he tightened his grip on the dagger he was holding and urged himself to move forward.

There was a curtain dividing one corner of the room, it looked light and thin, and the shadow of Captain Shirley was delicately drawn across it, she appeared to be laying on some kind of fancy bed for one, though he could hear a strange noise similar to moving water coming from it.

As he stepped closer, he heard her low breathing, and confident that she wouldn't wake up on time to avoid her imminent ending, he decided to take a moment before ending her life.

However, as he peaked through one side of the fabric covering her bed, Gilbert's eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't know how he managed not to scream, or even fall to his knees and cry, begging God for mercy and forgiveness after what he saw:

Captain Shirley was indeed fast asleep, but she wasn't on a bed, she was on a wide bathtub, long enough so it could cover most of her body, water was spilling thanks to the movements that the ship suffered from the nightly waves, but down where her legs were supposed to be, all Gilbert could see was a fish tail.

But that couldn't be a fish tail, because it was attatched to a woman! Or that could not possibly be a woman, that had to be... a siren, a _mermaid_.

Gilbert's stomach churned in horror as he remembered the horrid tales he'd heard during childhood, but he also found comfort in finding the reason why his heart had fallen victim of this creature's looks. It was obvious now, no human could have eyes like hers.

Though he was terrified beyong belief, he took in at every little detail he could catch, it isn’t every day that you get to see a real mermaid: 

Her hair looked like fire, one that could live underwater and swing back and forth under the tides, her skin was white and freckled, like a snowy field with dry leaves of its trees and bushes. Her tail, though intimidating and hard to get used to, was of a charming pale blue, like looking at an early sky forever reflecting on her scales. 

In her body Gilbert found the elements coexisting and sharing their home within every inch. Could she really be considered a monster when all she was built of was pure beauty?

Deep and raspy voices from outside the room caused Gilbert to quickly found his way to the door, waiting against it ready for any sort of attack that never came.

"We do it tonight," Said one of the voices. "Captain Shirley's a good leader all right, but she ain't gonna last forever. Remember the rumors."

"Rumors are rumors," The other man replied. "Do you really believe that she's some kind of creature that will abandon us as soon as we get too close to Green Gables Island? Wake up, Sloane! Mermaids aren't real!"

Gilbert gulped, his eyes going back to the curtain covering Shirley's real identity.

"Creature or no creature, we're taking her out," the other growled, "she's bad news. Willy and I have taken a decision, and the rest agrees, we're getting rid of Shirley, she's cursed."

"You're just a filthy traitor, that's it! Don't think I believe your little story, we know you're angry because she refused your advances, you're desperate to show her a lesson, aren't you? Heh! She'll have you begging for mercy in no–"

There was a sudden wrestling sound between the two man and a body crashing against the very same door Gilbert was standing, he prayed for Captain Shirley to be a heavy sleeper.

"I'd keep my opinions to myself, Jerry boy, if you don't want to end up at the bottom of the sea, sharing the same fate as our captain... she may give you a nice treatment, but I assure you, sirens get cranky when they starve."

Gilbert listened as Jerry pushed his way out of Sloane's grip and waited until they sounded far away. They were going to kill the captain and this had nothing to do with no curse, it was merely about a man having no honor, but what could he expect from a pirate? 

New plan, he was going to search for the crown and then leave the rest to the tripulation, surely the mutiny was the perfect excuse in case some objects went missing from the Captain's room. 

Something was bothering him though, and it was his moral compass. 

Was he really going to let the tripulation kill her like that?

_Well you were going to kill her moments ago,_ He thought bitterly.

Drowning in uncertainty Gilbert got closer to the bathtub, watching her lay there with her eyes closed. Only then he realized she was fully naked, he hadn't processed it since the fish tail was far more distracting, the scales only reach her sides and covered some parts of her chest, but she still had a human chest. Embarrassed and overwhelmed Gilbert turned around and weighed his options.

He could walk out of there with his father's treasure and never look back, or he could help the woman that was known across the world as this wickedly intelligent, viciously skilled pirate, survive the mutiny and have a new helping hand on his side that would assure him to return home safe and sound.

He convinced himself that this was a matter of clever negotiation and nothing else. No feelings of attachments whatsoever.

So he woke her up.

"Captain?" His voice came out weak and fearful, so he tried again. "Captain Shirley!"

Her eyes snapped open, quickly grabbing the gun that was hidden on the side of the tub Gilbert couldn't see. He flinched and closed his eyes, ready to get killed, but nothing came.

He opened his eyes and found the gun very close to his nose, the Captain's hand was unwavering and her eyes resembled the most vicious of hurricanes.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"Good evening, Captain," Gilbert gulped, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm her to save you."

“Save me?" She let out sarcastically. Not even caring that he'd found her in such a vulnerable state, if anything, now that she was awake Gilbert was having a hard time trying to remember why did he ever thought she ever needed help.

"Sloane and company are planning a mutiny, they’ll attack later tonight and if you don't follow me they'll kill you."

"Oh, please," She replied. "Are you really expecting me to believe that, boy?"

"I'm only telling the truth," He frowned. "I can't do anything to convince you besides maybe the fact that I'm holding a dagger, like you can clearly see, and I didn't try to cut your throat before waking you up, did I?"

"No, because you're not that stupid," He felt a sting of annoyance at her retort. "Sloane's been on this ship for years, why would he try to kill me now?"

"I heard him speak to Jerry... he uh– I think his interests may be a bit... compromised… after the last talk you two had."

Shirley wasn't one to blush at such bold statements, not from embarrassment anyway. However, anger was a whole different thing. Her face shifted from understanding to tension, to a new calculating glare.

"I don't know you," She tightened the grip on her gun. "This is not the way men like you are meant to act. Who are you?"

"Men like me?" He asked back.

"Pirates," She spat. "In all my years of leading the Cordelia, no man has ever showed a glimpse of decency. Let alone to a woman they barely know."

"You're my captain," He replied in confusion. "Aren't I supposed to respect you?"

She blinked, her frown only increasing as her tail swung to a side, leaving the water and filling the room with a splashing noise. Almost instantly two perfect and fuctioning legs were hanging from the edge of the tub, and now she looked definitely naked to him.

Gilbert turned around instantly, the Captain let out a short and charming laugh.

"Boy you do not turn your back when someone's holding a gun in front of you!" She exclaimed. "You must be truly too new in this scene, why in the hell are you mingling with pirates?"

"Why is a siren leading them to victories?" He still has his back to her. "Aren't you supposed to... uh..."

"Finish that sentence, boy."

"I would rather not to," He said quietly.

He didn't hear her move, but somehow she'd circled the tub and was now standing in front of him again (thankfully now wearing a silky robe to cover her human form), the gun finding its way to his chest, and the cold metal causing him to jump back.

"I said," She repeated calmly, "finish that sentence."

"I'm sorry, Captain," He started, trying not to sweat. Were mermaids capable of hearing a man's heartbeat? "My father used to tell me stories about the sirens and their... unusual habits."

"Unusual indeed," She smirked. "All true as well."

Okay, now he was scared. 

"All those treasures, all those stones you humans keep like they belong to you…” She started, “They all come from nature, and some of them belonged to us first. Some of my peers decided that eating the humans were the easiest way to get rid of you but you’re smart enough to learn not to repeat past mistakes. Soon enough you were avoiding our islands, and we were abandoned to our luck by our rulers. I'd had enough, if you can fight it, you can at least learn to control it, so I did.” Her eyes had a bit of sadness in them that she quickly covered with her usual glare.

"Sloane knows what you are, he’ll kill you…"

"Sloane was an accident," She frowned. "That nasty rat! Thought that after all these years under my protection he had at least a bit of loyalty towards me, but you humans have flimsy minds and those pesky emotions... I should've seen it coming, you're all liars. He got obsessed with who I really was and when I told him I cannot have those human feelings I guess he took it as an insult. Men are completely empty-headed.”

He was certainly insulted by this, but she still had her gun pointing at him so he decided not to make any comments.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked. "If you, like Sloane, are expecting to gain my favor..."

"No," He quickly responded. “It’s… it’s true, I'm not a pirate. I’m not like them.”

The hand holding the gun lowered, but only by half an inch.

"What are you?"

"I'm the son of King Blythe."

She froze in place, her eyes widening in shock and then... she laughed. She laughed and lowered her gun, walking away from him.

"A Prince!" She said in amusement. "Are you trying to teach dear father a lesson? Is this your way of showing him you’re not just a boy?"

"You stole his crown," He replied with more courage than the one he actually felt. "I'm here to take it back."

"So you were going to kill me," She smiled. "See? All of you, liars."

"I'm not!" He defended. "Listen, just give me the crown, we can make a deal."

"I don't make any deals with fake royalty," She eyed him up. "A human prince comes into my ship and demands I give him back the treasures his people stole from others. Not only that, but he promises he won't kill me if I cooperate! How charming must be, to have such an empty and conceited mind…”

Gilbert was about to answer when a lamp was thrown into the room through one of the windows, shattered glass spread across the floor along with flames and Shirley's mouth fell open in outrage.

"I told you!" Gilbert yelled in irritation. "We've lost precious time! It's too late now!"

"Get out of my way!" She yelled over the banging sounds her former men trying to break the door. She ran over to where her sword was and took it with her dominant hand while the other held her gun expertly. 

"You're gonna need my help!” Gilbert insisted.

"Oh please, pretty boy," She scoffed. “You know nothing about me."

"I've done proper training, I can fight!"

"You won't last!"

"You have no one else!" They were shouting at this point, the door was going down splinter by splinter and lightining was falling from the sky, announcing the callous storm. "Give me a sword!"

"You'll kill me!" She replied. Her hair was still damp and every time she moved tiny drops would land on Gilbert's clothes. "I won't die like this!"

"I won't kill you if you give me the crown!" He growled. "You can keep everything else, I don't care for it! You're right, we steal, that's all we do, but I need that crown before winter!"

"Why?!"

"Because the King is dying!"

A harsh bang and one of the handgrips fell. The fire was spreading quickly and it was her against everyone on that ship. That could easily change though, she just had to trust the prince. Shirley groaned in frustration and ran over to were she kept her extra weapons, when she came back, it was with a second sword that she offered to him hastily.

"I'm going to regret this," She grumbled.

The door finally gave in, and as the dust and storm made its way into the room, she asked him:

"Ready, Prince of Blythe?"

"Yes," He lied.

As a large group of men ran into the room holding swords, guns, and knives, a dazzling lighting turned everything white, blinding him briefly.

* * *

Gilbert woke up.

Outside his room a second thunder caught his attention, there was a storm outside but he'd forgotten to close the window before going to bed and now the breeze was hitting his face fully. He got up, slightly dizzy from his sleepy state and with the memories of his dreams making everything confusing.

He touched his desk on his way back as if to make sure he was in his real room. The light from the street illuminated the place where Gilbert had been sleeping moments ago. Half of his covers were a little wet from the time the rain started and he was knocked unconscious by all the time he'd spent walking around town with Winne.

He pulled the covers out of his bed and left them on the floor, Mary would certainly be pissed the next morning if those covers ended up smelling, but he was too tired to care, he'd wash them later.

He crawled his way back and fell heavily on his pillow, the smell of dry roses raising like a faint reminder of this other world, this other life he'd shared with this striking redheaded pirate.

"The mermaid…” He mumbled, half asleep. His eyes widened, Gilbert sat up abruptly and repeated, this time in a much more shocked tone, “Pirate!"

* * *

"I'm..." Anne mumbled, half asleep. "I'm... Pirate!"

Her eyes opened lazily in the dark, her own voice had woken her up though she didn't remember what she'd said. In her phone the time said four in the morning and the sound coming from her window told her it was raining outside. It was too dark to see anything but what the lightning showed her from time to time whenever it blasted across the nightsky.

Anne sighed in contentment, this was her favorite weather to wake up to apart from that early morning bliss she could get from hearing the birds singing outside on the cherry tree every summer. What a treasure it was, to be able to experience these kinds of sounds and smells, and colors. How sad that the king wouldn't get to witness those in the near future...

Anne frowned as she caught her own thought. What was she talking about?

Her dream of course! -She turned once more on the bed, hiding under the covers- She's not going to remember all this tomorrow, of that she's sure… but what a nice dream though, the Prince was specially endearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcomed and very much appreciated!  
> I promise I'll try to post more often! -Danny


	10. Is there anybody out there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Long time, I know, I'm sorry. School had me real busy but now I'm free and I promise to update often! This chapter may be a bit short but that's just bc I'm trying to get back into the vibe lmao don't worry, next chapter will be longer -Danny

> **_'Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?_ **
> 
> **_Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.'_ **

"How long has he been there?" 

"Like three hours, Winnie's meant to come for him in a while but he hasn't even showered," Bash replied, eyebrows raising. "I think he's gone crazy."

The couple was staring at the young man from across the entrance hall, Gilbert was curled up on the couch, scrolling through old facebook's pictures, he'd been there ever since Bash and Mary got up for breakfast and they didn't know exactly what was he doing, but he seemed way too focused on it.

"He probably doesn't even know the time," Mary said worryingly. "Has he eaten at all?"

"Dunno– Hey, Blythe!" Bash called out loud.

Gilbert gave a start a looked up, the dark circles under his eyes proving he wasn't at his best. 

"Yeah?"

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

Gilbert frowned. "Yeah?"

"You look dead, man," Bash mentioned. Mary slapped his arm lightly and he quickly added. "I mean, did you have a nightmare or what?"

"No, I just... I'm looking for something," He shook his head, his attention going back to the laptop.

"What thing?"

Gilbert looked up again briefly. 

"Something," He said quietly.

"Oh, so now you're keeping secrets, huh?" Bash walked up to him and leaned over the couch to see the pictures on Gilbert's screen.

"Stop that!" Gilbert complained, closing the laptop for a moment. 

"Why on earth are you stalking a highschool classmate?" Bash raised a brow. 

"I'm not stalking people," He said defensively. "I'm looking for someone."

"Looking for...?" Bash started, then his face lit up with realization. "This is about your dream girl, isn't it?"

Gilbert scoffed, but he didn't deny it.

"Blythe, you dunce," Bash said, but now he looked genuinely worried. "Tell me you're not seriously looking for this girl."

"What girl?" Mary asked excitedly. 

"Oh no, don't get all happy," Bash frowned. "This ain't a real girl, he's been having dreams about a girl he probably saw in a magazine or something and now he has an obsession. This needs to stop, Blythe. You can't lose your mind before the Orchard's anniversary, I need you at your best!"

"Listen I know I'm not crazy!" He groaned. "Her face is just so... so vivid. It's like I've seen it from up close at some point..."

"Yeah, brains are funny like that," Bash took the laptop and pushed Gilbert out of the couch. "Get up and eat."

"Wait– NO!" Gilbert fell off, grunting as he landed on the ground. "Just five more minutes!"

* * *

Anne had wasted the last ten minutes staring at a picture of her and Roy, trying to decide what to do with it. 

The obvious choice was to throw it away, but then again, it was a picture of her first boyfriend. It was sort of special, a memory like that one it's worth keeping... right?

No. She had to delete that picture now.

Her finger hovered on the 'delete' option. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

With an exasperated scoff, Anne threw the phone onto the mattress and walked out of her room, making a beeline towards the back door and finding Matthew sitting outside while quietly reading a newspaper. 

"Morning," She smiled, kissing the top of his head softly. "Anything interesting today?"

"Been quiet," He replied, folding the paper. "How was your night?"

"Slept like a baby," Anne replied blissfully. "I don't know what it is about Green Gables, but my bed is always so comfy!"

Matthew nodded. He picked up a plate that was placed next to him and offered a plum puff to Anne, which she took and ate happily. She sat close to him and stared at the rising sun.

"Do you think love is real, Matthew?" She asked, then quickly added. "Romantical love, I mean. Because I know love when it comes to friends and family can be real, and I have lots of it, but I... I wonder if it's worth my time to search for a romantic partner."

"Well," Matthew started. "If it is, I can't think of anyone who deserves to be loved more than you do, but if you decide to live on your own, I'm sure you will be just as happy."

"Thank you," Anne sighed. "But that doesn't answer my question, Matthew."

Matthew hummed, but he didn't add anything else.

* * *

Gilbert could admit that he was acting a bit crazy.

Maybe he simply had liked a bit too much some girl his brain had created. Maybe the dreams that had come after the first were mere repetitions. 

Maybe he was too so scared of starting a real relationship that he'd obsessed with a dream so he didn't have to go out with strangers.

Either way, he had a short period to relax before Christmas break was over, and he really needed time for himself, more importantly, he had to help Bash with the Orchard's celebration. He decided to push aside his crazy investigation, it was clearly just an excuse to run away from real life. 

It wasn't like dating a girl nowadays equalled to an engagement, he could go to a few without them having to mean anything. Then why did it feel so wrong?

He was being ridiculous, love wasn't like in the movies, he wasn't going to find his soulmate in his first try. So better to prepare and be a big boy, face the facts like an adult, and accept that sometimes soulmates aren't real and you need to find your own regular partner.

What was love, anyway? Mary and Bash hadn't fallen in love at first sight, Moody had a crush on a girl he didn't even know and Winnie had at least three partners per month. Love wasn't real, it was merely a name for attraction and a bunch of chemicals doing their work so humans can continue to make babies and we don't fall into extinction.

So really, looking for a fairytale in a world that's so blunt and straightforward was a stupid thing to do.

He picked up his phone and opened Winnifred's chat. Starting to record a voice note.

"Hey, Winnie? It's Gilbert," He said. "I've been thinking about your offer... I'll bite. How bad can it be, right? Just one blind date..." He sighed. "Pick a girl and send me her number."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated :) -Danny


	11. Everyone's enemy is on their wrist.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soulmate!au is here. 
> 
> I swear is not my intention to shit all over Roy but he's so easy to use jsdfjdsf this is the last time I bring him into the conversation I swear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this prompt on pinterest and I just thought it was great and it applied to Shirbert perfectly. Enjoy!

> **_'She was not a chapter,_ **
> 
> **_She was the whole story.'_ **

The date had gone alright, though the girl wasn't very interested in having a second meeting. He couldn't blame her, he'd been absent half of the time. Whenever a red glimpse of something would catch his eye he would perk up in his seat only to be met with disappointment.

However, he lied to his friends saying he'd had a blast and maybe he'd go out with the girl another day, though he already knew that was never going to happen.

He fell face-first on his bed with a groan, not even trying to change into his pyjamas, and in a matter of seconds, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Anne was officially having a bad Christmas break. 

She was alone in her room, binge-watching movies and bawling. Fortunately, Marilla and Matthew had decided to visit Rachel so she was alone, otherwise, they'd be very worried about her mental health. 

She'd considered calling either Cole or Diana, but she decided not to, she didn't want to ruin their holidays. She could've called Jerry, but he'd said something about taking his siblings to meet Santa and Anne didn't feel like going out and being miserable in public.

So she was alone and crying to shitty rom-coms. It wasn't even that she was crying for Roy, she was just... lonely. She didn't need a relationship to feel whole, but Roy had taken advantage of her naivety, he'd tricked her into believing he was the one, only to crush every single one of her dreams by cheating on her.

In conclusion, Anne just felt like her first experience had been enough to obliterate all her optimism. Love was a decision. Soulmates were a scam, and she was a twenty-three-year-old destined to be alone forever.

* * *

_Anne was moving into her new apartment and slowly building the life she wanted to have forever._

_There was a little problem, though. Her soulmate was an asshole._

_Now, you're not obliged to marry your soulmate, or to love them romantically. But Anne has always dreamed about her sweet, beautiful wedding, and she'd always dreamed it would be with her soulmate, so she was determined to make it work._

_Roy didn't agree. He was a 'free soul', and he wanted to stay that way. Even though Anne loved him like she'd never loved anyone before._

_Either way, Roy was her soulmate and (someone knocked on the door, Anne didn't hear it) it was her duty to help him see they were meant to be and–_

_The knocks became so insistent and loud that the ground vibrated under her feet. She took off her earphones and ran up to the door, thinking that maybe it was the pizza she'd ordered._

_"Sorry!" She ran to get her bag. "Coming!"_

_When she opened the door, however, there was no pizza delivery. Instead, a very grumpy-looking man was glaring at her, and he was holding..._

_"Rusty!" Anne gasped._

_"Your cat jumped on me when I climbing up the stairs!" He exclaimed._

_"How do you know it's mine?"_

_"Well, because you're the new neighbour and this monster wasn't here yesterday," The man frowned. "And you just called it Rusty!"_

_"He's not a monster, he's playful!"_

_"Yeah, well, he didn't feel playful when he tried to gauge my eyes out!"_

_"Oh, you're one of those," Anne scoffed, grabbing her cat and gently placing him on the kitchen counter._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Her new neighbour scowled at her._

_"You think cats are heartless beings that only wish to kill humans. As if humans are actually that worthy..."_

_He gaped and moved his mouth without actually speaking, then he just scoffed and turned around._

_"You know what, I don't have time for this. I just came back from a nightshift and I'm tired, just don't let it happen again..."_

_Anne felt a sting of annoyance, who was he to boss her around?_

_The man left before she could say anything to him, but to her dismay, he barely walked a few meters before entering the apartment next to hers. That was not ideal._

_"A little help here, Anne?" Diana called from the stairs._

_The woman helped Diana carry the box, she also told her all about the unfortunate incident with the man living next door, and Diana let out a quiet gasp._

_"You annoyed Dr Blythe? No, Anne! I was planning on asking him out!"_

_"It's not my fault he's an idiot!" She said defensively. "You can ask him out if you want, but I must say you can do better than a grumpy dude..."_

_"Gilbert's not grumpy! He was so kind to me when I came to see the apartment the first time! You probably had the misfortune to get on his nerves while he was sleep-deprived. He works a lot..."_

_Anne dropped the box abruptly._

_"How did you call him?"_

_"What? Gilbert?" She repeated. "Well, that's his name."_

_"Ohohoh!" Anne hurriedly lifted her right sleeve. "No no no no Diana! You can't date him!"_

_"What?!" Diana got closer and read the thin letters across Anne's wrist. "Oh, c'mon, Anne! Just one date?"_

_"No! There's a reason I'll hate him, what if the reason is that he'll break your heart?" Anne hid the name and shook her head energetically "You can't date him."_

_The rules were simple. Two names tattooed on your body. One soulmate, one swore enemy. Roy was her soulmate, she'd loved him for years. This Gilbert was destined to be her personal headache for a long, long time. Which explained why Rusty had been so rude to him, he could probably sense the bad vibes._

_"What kind of name is Gilbert, anyway?" Anne scoffed. "Sounds like an idiot..."_

_"He's not. He really isn't," Diana said, closing the door behind her. "Anne please, just listen to me, he's sweet and smart and he's a doctor!"_

_"And he's meant to make my life a living hell!" Anne finished._

_***_

_All Gilbert wanted was to have a six-hour nap. Why did God hate him?_

_The girls moving next door were loud and continued to argue through the day, although he couldn't hear what were they fighting about. Either way, he just wanted to have a quiet evening._

_He never got his quiet evening, that night nor the next four. The redheaded nightmare was always causing some kind of mishap, he could hear things falling and breaking, he even heard her scream 'Fire!' once and her roommate's voice going 'ANNE, NOT AGAIN–'_

**_Anne._ **

_He had that name on his wrist._

_No no no no no no._

_There's no way this girl was his soulmate._

_***_

_It was 7 am on a Saturday and Anne was coming back from yet another sleepless night fighting with Roy. Her eyes felt heavy, and her nose was red from the cold and the crying. She was thankful she'd come home early, Diana was probably either taking a shower or still sleeping, but at least she wouldn't be able to see how messy she looked._

_Just as she was reaching the landing of her floor, a figure crashed against her, sending her back down the stairs. Anne yelped and landed weirdly on her wrist. She heard Gilbert swearing loudly and rushing to her side._

_"Great," She muttered in anger. "'Course you had to be here..."_

_"I'm so sorry!" Gilbert kneeled next to her. "Are you injured?"_

_"Just my pride," She replied bluntly. "Listen, doctor, why don't you leave me alone? I can take care of myself."_

_"How do you..?" He shook his head. "Nevermind. Please stop acting tough and let me help you, it's my fault you fell... though you should see where you're walking from time to time..."_

_"You're trying to help me or are you trying to make me hate you more?"_

_"Hate– Hate me?" He asked in surprise. "Why do you hate me?"_

_"Because you're my enemy, that's why!"_

_"What?" He frowned. "You think I'm your–?"_

_"I don't think, I know," She stood up hastily, refusing his help. "You, Gilbert Blythe, are my swore enemy. And you should know that by now, my name must be on your wrist too, take a look. I'm Anne."_

_Gilbert just stared at her, she could not tell what that meant, but it wasn't the spiteful glare she was expecting._

_"Okay," He said after a moment. "...Yeah, if that makes sense to you..."_

_"What's that supposed to– argh!"_

_Gilbert forced her to sit back on the steps as he looked for injuries. When he found his broken wrist, he nodded once and stood up._

_"You're coming with me," He said, grabbing her bag and hanging it over his shoulder. "C'mon, we have to fix that hand."_

_"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Anne exclaimed. "What if this is just a plan to kill me?"_

_"Oh yes, Anne. I just found out you're my enemy so of course, my first reaction will be to try and murder you," He raised a brow. "I'm taking you to the hospital, don't be dramatic."_

_Anne swore under her breath, but she didn't refuse his help this time as he gently pulled her up to her feet. Both adults walked quietly side by side until Anne spoke in a sort of childish manner._

_"I need a nap..."_

_"That makes two of us," He huffed. "You are the loudest neighbour ever, I haven't been able to sleep at all whenever you're home."_

_"I prefer the term feisty," She said. "You could've just knocked on our door and told me to be quiet."_

_"Yeah? And you surely would've reacted in a gentle fashion, right?"_

_Anne turned up her nose, ignoring the sarcastic way he'd said it._

_"Well of course! I'm not a monster! Even though you insist on calling me and my cat that way..."_

_"I never called you a monster," He said. "I called you loud. And rude. And–"_

_"Yeah okay, got it."_

_Once in the road, Gilbert remained silent, but she could feel him staring out of the corner of his eye. She kept her brows furrowed, not only because of him but because of her fight with Roy. She couldn't even remember what was the fight about, but she just knew it had been awful, and sometimes she just wanted to chuck that big head of his down the–_

_"We're here!" Gilbert turned to look at her. "C'mon, the faster we heal you the quicker you can walk away from your 'enemy'."_

_Anne stared at him without knowing whether if he was mocking or not. He seemed amused, but Anne didn't know why._

_"Why are you acting like it's a joke? You know we're enemies, I'm on your wrist!"_

_"Well, yeah, there's an Anne on my wrist," Gilbert raised a brow. "But who says it's you?"_

_"Because I have you on my wrist! And Gilbert is not a common name these days, is it? I've never heard it until now, honestly–"_

_The man laughed, his whole face lit up and he looked away, slightly shaking his head._

_"What?" She groaned. "What's so funny?"_

_"You're so upset about this!" He snorted. "You know that whole thing about enemies and soulmates is only relevant if you're like twelve, right?"_

_Anne had heard enough. Of course her enemy was going to be her complete opposite, of course he was going to be blunt and sceptic, and annoying and so so boring!_

**_***_ **

_He knew Anne was his soulmate for the sole fact that the name on his left wrist was a man's. One that he knew already, and he disliked deeply. Although just like he'd said, hating out loud was a very childish thing to do. Or at least, that was his opinion._

_However, he could not bring himself to clear things out. She was so determined on hating him it was almost cute, she was really trying. Besides, messing with his soulmate for a bit longer sounded fun, and she would find out the truth eventually, once she met her real nemesis._

_He waited until Anne was fixed and ready, he didn't want to start his shift worrying about leaving her alone._

_Anne was less pouty and defensive when she walked out, but now she looked overworked. She'd looked exhausted all morning, and he wondered if he was the real reason why she was so angry to start with._

_"Let's get you lunch," He told her. When he noticed she was about to argue back, he added, "my treat! I pushed you down the stairs, after all. Consider this your payback, once we're even you can hate me all you want and I can, I don't know, try to poison your cat or something."_

_Anne stared at him in alarm._

_"_ _If something ever happens to my cat I'll kill you, Blythe."_

**_***_ **

_Gilbert insisted on taking her home, and she was (regrettably) not as angry at him as before. That could always change though, enemies don't have to hate each other all the time, it'd be tiring._

_"Did you mean what you say a while ago?" She questioned. "About soulmates and rivals not being relevant unless you're a kid?"_

_"Well... a bit," He shrugged. "What I meant to say is that you shouldn't let it consume you. Life is about way more than just the people you're meant to meet. And if you really think about it, it's just two people, you'll meet more throughout the course of your life, and who's to say you won't love or hate them more than the ones that marked you?"_

_Anne stared at him having nothing to say. It was weird, being rendered speechless. That doesn't happen to her often. Gilbert must've misread this, since he blushed madly and shook his head._

_"I'm talking nonsense. Sorry, everyone always tells me that... Apparently, I'm too unrealistic to work in the medical field," He chuckled. "Like that makes me any less good..."_

_"I think that what you said was beautiful," It was her turn to get flustered. "Er... well, but you should check that narcissistic speech you've got."_

_"I prefer the term confident," He smiled._

_"Sure you do..."_

_As they reached her doorstep, she stopped and turned, staring at him with a little frown._

_"I gotta ask, Blythe. Any normal person would be at least a bit wary around their foe. Even if you are one of those who think 'keep your enemies close' is a wise move."_

_"You didn't ask anything," He said with a little smile._

_"I'm getting to that! Geez," She rolled her eyes. "Why are you so unbothered about this? Do you... Have you not... you know, met your soulmate?"_

_"Have you?"_

_"Yeah."_

**_***_ **

_He was not expecting that answer._ _He had to play it cool, though, so he tried his best to hide his disappointment._

_"Oh."_

_Yeah, that'll do it._

_Idiot._

_Maybe he'd gotten two enemies? That'd be really shitty._

_Then again, God really did hate him._

_"Listen, Anne," He tried again. "It's a silly belief, you don't have to waste your time hating me if you don't want to. Honestly, I think it'd do us a favour, wouldn't it be better to simply stay away from your nemesis now that you know who he is?"_

_"I... I guess," She replied, but she didn't sound as certain as before. "So you really haven't met your person?"_

_Gilbert hesitated, then decided to keep up his lighthearted attitude._

_"I mean, I met the other name a while ago, when I was in Highschool," He admitted. "But I'm starting to think that maybe I judged him wrong... although he was an asshole and I can't see myself spending my nights with such an idiot."_

_Anne let out a soft giggle._

_"Maybe you were too harsh on him? Like I was with you?"_

_"Well, the thing is that I never liked him. From the moment I met him I just knew he was a fool. But wouldn't it be funny if I give him a call and end up falling for him now?" He snorted. "After all the stuff I said about him when I was a kid... Even gave him a nickname: 'Royal piece of shit'. It took me like five seconds. That's his real name. Royal."_

_"What?"_

_"I know, right? Who calls his son like that?"_

_"Royal?" She insisted. "As in Roy?"_

_"I'm pretty sure it's Roy as in Royal," He tilted his head. "Why?"_

_"Royal Garner?"_

_"Yeah! Wait– You know him?"_

_Anne hurriedly took off her jacket and threw it aside, showing him her wrist._

_"I got him too!" Anne exclaimed. "But he's my... Oh my god! I hate him!" She laughed sort of maniacally. "I hate his guts! Oh god, I'm so relieved! I thought I was stuck with a shitty partner! Oh my..." She gazed down in sudden realization. "I've been holding back all my opinions on him because I thought he was my soulmate! I had a crush on him and when we started dating he turned out to be awful! I assumed you were my enemy because, well, I liked him first and I never thought I'd like my enemy! And I just straight-up disliked you the first time we talked!"_

_Gilbert was having a hard time processing all the information Anne was dropping on him._

_"Wait," He said a bit stupidly. "Does that mean we're meant to hate the same person?"_

_"Yeah!" She said brightly. "I'm going to break up with him right now!"_

_She turned around and opened the door to her apartment, then stopped again._

_"Are you free on Sunday?"_

_"Wha– Yeah, I guess?" He said, still trying to understand what was happening. "You're dating Roy Garner?"_

_"Technically yes, but that's about to change!" She was suddenly so giddy it looked like she'd absorbed all his energy. "I'll break up with him and then I'll take you out this Sunday– Consider it a thank you for paying my lunch today– And an apology for being such a shitty soulmate..."_

_"You're far from being shitty, Anne," He declared. He wasn't sure of what was going on, but it seemed he'd gotten a date with his soulmate, so he wasn't complaining. "See you Sunday, then?"_

_"See you!" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before stepping into her apartment and closing the door._

_"Okay," He mumbled, then let out a burst of nervous laughter. "Okay..."_

* * *

Gilbert woke up in a wonderful mood. Bash and Mary thought it had to do with the girl he'd met yesterday, but they were wrong.

In Gilbert's mind, there was only room for a certain redhead, one he now knew the name of.

_Anne._

However, as the day continued its course, Gilbert lost his spark. He was tired of just dreaming. 

It sounded crazy, but he was sure this girl was real, and he'd seen her somewhere in real life, he just knew it...

And now he had a clue in the shape of none other but his Highschool rival. Royal _'Roy'_ Garner. What harm could come from trying? He'd be careful not to show any signs of craziness around his friends, that was all.

He was going to find her.

* * *

Anne's phone woke her up with a start. 

_'Gotta call Roy'_ , She thought drowsily. When she realized that thought was stupid she took a moment to go back to reality.

Diana was calling, and she was asking for a night out with her best friend before Christmas. 

When she hung up, her finger hovered over the picture she'd been reluctant to delete the day before. She pressed the button without hesitation this time.

"I don't need his pictures to remember, not that the memories were that good, anyway," Anne sentenced. "Just like Gilbert said–"

The young woman stopped mid-sentence.

Who the hell was Gilbert?

_He's a doctor._

_And... a prince? He certainly looked like one..._

_She was pretty sure he'd been the same working at a flower shop... and the coffee shop._

_He was the guy in her dreams._

"What the fuck," She said with a soft chuckle. "I have a wild mind..."

Surely this was just another of her imaginings, after all, she was pretty good at dreaming things.

"Anne! Breakfast is ready!"

Anne got up, forgetting half of her dream as she got dressed.

"Coming, Marilla!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment! :) thank u for reading! -Danny


	12. I think we've met (But I can't be sure)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zombie!AU of sorts, but it's really not that exciting.  
> Beware tho, they kill a dog (it's a zombie) and it's a tad graphic, there's a bit of blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left!  
> -Danny

> _**Asleep or awake** _
> 
> _**I dream of you all the same.** _

Anne was determined to have a good time, and considering it was a day before Christmas Eve, it wasn't that hard to act excited and giddy. 

Diana met her at the bar around 2 pm, neither of them were heavy drinkers, so they would be in for the afternoon of their lives.

"Okay!" Anne tapped the table excitedly. "I saw that insta story you posted yesterday. Rant to me, Diana..."

* * *

Gilbert roughly closed his laptop and pushed it aside.

Nothing. Roy had no _'Anne'_ added to his contacts on any social media, no pictures with her either. 

Maybe he was going crazy.

Okay, maybe loneliness was perhaps not the best companion, and with the planning for the Orchard's anniversary, it was easy to let stress take over, but at this point, Anne was so real to him he could almost remember her voice, the way her hand felt on his...

Fuck, he really was losing his mind. 

Deciding to take a break from life in general, Gilbert laid back on the couch and turned on the tv, he found a shitty horror movie and approved of it almost instantly, nothing like a predictable plot to distract you from the slow decay of your mental health.

* * *

"...And that's that," Diana retrieved her phone from Anne's hands. "You're with me?"

"Yes! Oh my god," Anne shook her head. "I usually don't speak ill about other girls, but if this asshole tries to get the credit of one of your songs again, I'll have to commit murder."

Diana laughed, she looked down to her phone and scrolled through the posts of her feed. Suddenly she came across a new one and let out a short exclamation.

"Look, Anne!" She showed her the picture. "The Orchard's having a party right after the Holidays!"

"Isn't that place like a family restaurant?"

"Yeah, but it's their anniversary, look," She pushed the phone towards her. "We should go."

"Why? Ruby's the one obsessed with a waiter..."

"Yeah, but we had fun last time we were there," Diana grinned.

Anne tilted her head, trying to remember.

"Well, the first half of the night was fun, yeah..."

"Oh, the second half was even better, and your amnesia's proof of it," Her friend laughed.

"Whatever," Anne snorted. 

Diana grabbed her phone once more and quickly accessed the Orchard's profile.

"Honestly, it looks like it's going to be fun, and it's around the same time we have to go back anyway, so maybe the party could lift our spirits? Aww, look! A picture of the owners..."

She gasped so loudly Anne almost jumped out of her chair.

"What? What is it?" 

"No way!" Diana smiled. "I can't believe he owns that place!"

"What are you talking about?"

"An old classmate," The girl explained brightly. "You didn't get to meet him because he moved out after his mom died, but he was a nice kid, everyone in our class liked him... I always wondered what had happened to him..."

"He owns the restaurant?" Anne raised a brow. "Nice, is he cute? Maybe if you date him we could get free meals..."

Diana laughed. "He wasn't really my type, but I wouldn't mind it if he asked me out anyway... look..."

The redhead looked down at the picture and something in her chest tightened with weird excitement. She knew that face.

"Di," She said quietly. "What did you say his name was?"

"I didn't tell you," She sipped a bit of her drink before replying. "Gilbert Blythe."

"Funny," Anne frowned. "Are you sure I've never met him?"

Diana snorted. "Well, shouldn't you know that better than me?"

"I feel like I've seen him around..."

"Maybe you saw him the night we went to his diner? He works there, after all..."

"Right," She said without much conviction. "Maybe..."

"Oh, how festive!" Diana nudged her arm, successfully distracting her. "A day before Christmas eve and this place decided it's a great idea to show Zombieland on every tv..."

Anne snorted.

"Nothing says 'Happy Christmas' better than mutilated corpses, Diana."

**_***_ **

"Text me when you get home!"

"I will..."

"And think about the party, I believe we could have a great time, I bet they would all love to see Gilbert again..."

Anne smiled at her comment, she didn't know this Gilbert guy but Diana seemed to have a soft spot for him, even if she hadn't seen him since she was twelve years old. Maybe he'd be a kindred spirit of sorts.

"I'll think about it. See you!"

* * *

_Gilbert walked out of the building with nothing but a backpack and a rusty hammer. This wasn't the ideal weapon to defend yourself from zombies, but it was all he could find. He could look for better armament later, right now he had to find a safe place where to sleep._

_His steps, though muffled by the dust, were pretty much the only sound he could notice, which was a good sign, but also, a bit unnerving._ _His shirt was sticking to his lower back thanks to the sweat, he couldn't remember the last time he'd showered, hell, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten..._

_Ahead of him there was a sleeping dog, in his hungry state he considered killing the poor animal and eat him whole, but he thought it to be too desperate, even for someone in his position._

_However, Gilbert quickly regretted his decision the second after he'd taken it. At the sound of his footsteps, the dog woke up — or well, more like simply stood up, judging by the state of his bloodshot eyes the man doubted that animal was even capable of sleeping._

_The creature growled and his back arched menacingly, Gilbert stumbled back with his grip on the hammer painfully tight. The dog pounced without warning, and he fell on the concrete._

_He saw him hovering above his body for a second and the next he was batted out of sight. Blood drops fell across his face and he gawked at the sensation, the woman in front of him lowered the bat and he looked up. He knew who she was even before he'd seen the red flashes around her soft features._

* * *

_Anne's eyes widened as she recognized the man at her feet._

_"Gilbert Blythe."_

_He stared at her in shock, Anne offered her hand and he took it without hesitation, she pulled him upwards and examined his face._

_"Gilbert," She repeated. "Why?"_

_She knew the question made no sense, but it was the only thing she could think of. Why was he here?_

_"Anne," He breathed, a hand reached out to hold her face and she didn't stop him. "Are you real?"_

_That question didn't make sense either, but neither did the whole scenario. Where the hell was she and why had she just killed a dog?_

_Oh god, she'd killed a dog._

_Her head turned back to the animal's corpse, and to her horror, although battered and with a twisted neck, the creature was still very much alive and it was crawling towards them, its fangs at full display._

_Gilbert looked down as well and his expression darkened._

_"You should close your eyes."_

_Anne obeyed without a second thought. She heard the abrupt sound of bones cracking, and the dog's feral growls until the street was silent again. When she opened her eyes Gilbert was holding a hammer covered in blood, and the dog's face had been left unrecognizable._

* * *

_They stared at each other without knowing what to do, Gilbert looked down at his bloody hands and grimaced._

_"Please, don't think I'm some kind of crazy psycho..."_

_"I was the first to break that dog's neck," She stated. "Why would I think that?"_

_He laughed shortly. "...You're Anne, aren't you?"_

_"Yes," She admitted. "With an E. You're Gilbert?"_

_The man nodded._

_"Why is this happening?" He asked. "Why am I dreaming about you?"_

_"Wasn't this my dream?"_ _She laughed nervously. "This is so weird, you're acting like a real person."_

_"I am a real person!" He exclaimed._

_"Yeah, but I meant like, you're acting as if you were the real Gilbert," Anne chuckled. "Man, I have such a wild imagination..."_

_"Anne, this is real," He insisted. "Well, not this zombie stuff, but this... whatever this is. Every night I fall asleep and I dream about you. I thought this was all my problem but if you're aware of it as well..."_

_"What if this is your head messing with you?" Anne offered. "What if you're dreaming that I'm also having these weird dreams and it's all you? Because maybe I think I'm real, but perhaps that's what you want to hear so you're just making me say things—"_

_"You overthink a lot, don't you?" He grumbled._

_"I'm just saying!" She exclaimed, lightly hitting his head with the bat. "You've said that before... I... I just can't remember when..."_

_Gilbert tilted his head deep in thought. "You've done that before too... although it wasn't a bat the first time..."_

_"What was it?"_

_His jaw clenched, Anne could practically see the gears in his brain working at full speed._

_"I got it!" Gilbert said abruptly, eyebrows raising in realization. "It was a—"_

* * *

"...slate."

The young man groaned, lazily stretching over the couch and running a hand over his face to wake up fully.

"What... the fuck..." He mumbled hoarsely, "was that?"

* * *

Anne bolted upright on her bed, the whole room was still dark and there was a light, cold breeze seeping through her window. She remembered every bit of her dream, and her eyes moved as if reading invisible calculations floating around her. 

"It can't be," She whispered, one hand anxiously looking for her phone. "He can't... it was just a dream..."

When she finally found the device her fingers acted on their own, Anne found the diner's page and clicked on the owners' picture, staring at the youngest of the two men.

"Gilbert Blythe," She frowned. "Do I know you?"


	13. 3rd. Déjà Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more strange dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the final one! I hope you guys are ready! -Danny

> _**I am not to speak to you, ** _ _** I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone, ** _  
> _** I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again, ** _  
> _** I am to see to it that I do not lose you. ** _
> 
> _** -Walt Whitman. ** _

Christmas came and ended without anything to add.  No more strange dreams or déjà vu's. There was, however, a strange and deep longing for the person they couldn't reach.

For Gilbert, it was close to a dead end. He had nothing but a name, he searched for every Anne, sure that he was bound to find her, but then he started to doubt, perhaps she wasn't real. Perhaps it was the combination of a known face with some actress or a classmate he'd only seen while walking through the halls... and yet there were these random things he would remember that didn't quite belong in any of his dreams. A broken slate and the distinct smell of lilies of the valley; but was it truly real?

Anne, on the other hand, found Gilbert's Facebook page and Instagram in less than a day, but her finger would always linger above the _'follow'_ and _'send friend request'_ button without actually doing anything.

She didn't believe her dream had been real, not in the way her brain wanted her to think it was. She hadn't spoken to Gilbert, not really, it was just some version she'd created in her mind.  The real question was why had she been dreaming about him? How was that even possible?

Her theory was that she might've seen him the day she'd gone to the diner, although she couldn't understand how had she overlooked him, the guy was really handsome, there was no way she would've forgotten that face!  But alas, she had— Or not really, considering he'd been stalking her dreams for almost an entire week. 

Which brought her to the next question, why had the dreams stopped?

As soon as she started to remember her dreams all of that ceased to happen. As if the universe were telling her _'You saw that? Okay then, now go and get it.'_

Anne couldn't though, because it was all in her head. What was she supposed to say to this guy? _'Hey, I know you don't know me, but I've been having dreams about you so I think we should date',_ the guy would run away so fast she wouldn't even get to say her name was spelt with an e.

What if he had a girlfriend? He had this picture with a lovely blonde, who was beyond beautiful, what if he was dating her? Oh my god, what if he was married?

She couldn't possibly be crushing on a stranger! That was too much, even for her. 

_'He isn't a stranger!'_ Some voice at the back of her mind tried to argue, but even she knew she couldn't be talking to this guy in her dreams, it was so stupid!

As she continued her research, she discovered he was indeed studying to become a doctor, and that his father had passed away. His first job had been at a flower shop (this guy was perhaps too open about his life on social accounts) and he and fucking _Roy Gardner_ had actually been highschool classmates?

How could she know all that?

* * *

"Are you listening to me, Blythe?"

Gilbert snapped out of his sulking and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, party preparations, music, some pictures. Yeah."

Bash frowned, fed up with his response. 

"You're acting weird. What happened with the dating, weren't you trying to go out and meeting people?"

"Change of plans, I actually don't want a date anymore," He said with a tone of sarcasm. "We have things to do, and my love life can wait."

"Oh, no," Bash groaned. "You promised you would try! What part of giving up after the first date makes you think that's how you get a girl? What did Winifred say about this?"

"I haven't told her, she'll get mad and I'm trying to delay her shouting," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Let's move to the next thing on the list, okay? We should have discounts on the—"

"I don't like this, I don't like what you're doing at all, you hear me?"

Gilbert stood up to refill his cup of coffee. Although he knew it wasn't ideal to live his life waiting to be asleep so he could dream about Anne, it was the only thing in his current life that was exciting, and he just knew no amount of dates would change that. 

His phone buzzed and Bash picked it up.

"Hey," He smirked. "Maybe I was wrong— are you hiding some secret girlfriend from us, you moke?"

"What?" Gilbert's head turned to his friend abruptly. For some reason, his mind went directly to Anne, fearing that Bash would've found out about his search. "What are you talking about?"

"Who's Diana and why is she asking if she can bring her friends to the party?"

The young man felt the disappointment sharply stabbing his heart. He walked back to the table, snatching the phone away.

"Diana is an old friend from Avonlea," He explained. "She said she'd been to the Orchard before and was hoping that I'd like to catch up with some of my old classmates. I invited her to the party."

Bash chuckled. "So you are still trying to have a social life, I'm proud of you."

"Shut up," Gilbert replied, but a tiny smile formed on his face as he said it. "Okay, Diana says she's bringing around seven or eight people, you think we can reserve a table?"

"Dunno, Blythe, can we?" He smirked. 

"It's done," He nodded, texting Diana with the confirmation.

"Are you excited about meeting with your old friends?"

"I can hardly remember their faces," Gilbert smiled wistfully. "God, it's been so long since I saw them..."

"Do you have pictures?"

"I left when I was thirteen, no one had a cellphone then... but maybe Diana has some old pictures in her— let me just..."

He went to her profile and scrolled directly to the oldest album he could find. 

"Look," He laughed. "That's the play Josie Pye forced me to act on, she wanted me to be her prince... man, I look tiny!"

Bash laughed, starting to scroll through the pictures.

"Aw, man, that's all she has," Bash shook his head in slight disappointment. "You look happy in those pictures, Blythe. I think you really used to like the people in them too."

"Well, yeah, they were nice," He smiled, still looking through Diana's photos. "You know what? I'm glad she—"

Gilbert inhaled sharply, dropping his phone and quickly diving to the ground to retrieve it with shaky hands.

"What the hell was that?" Bash asked anxiously. "You okay?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine!" He stood up. "I'm great. Yeah. I had a cramp, but it's gone. I think I need to pee."

He rushed out of the room before Bash could interrogate him further, his phone tightly held in one hand. The screen was showing one of Diana's latest Instagram posts with the description:

_'The love of my life... Anne is here too, ig'_

She had her arm wrapped around a young woman with fiery red hair and big, beautiful green eyes.


	14. A Big Day Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AWAE!Au + AOGG!Au, that's right, guys, we're ending this with the classics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want I could make a brief epilogue but only if lots of you ask it bc I would need to make time for that and I'm a busy woman -Danny

> **_'I hope_ ** **_that if alternate universes exist,_**
> 
> **_it will still be you and me i_** **_n the end._ **
> 
> **_I hope that_ ** **_there will always be an us._ **  
> **_In every world,_ ** **_in every story.'_**

> **_— Tina Tran_ **

New Year's passed without any strange occurrences as well, Anne had made up her mind and decided that those dreams had been the result of a very shitty week in which she'd had to deal with her ex's engagement, but now she was fine!

If fine meant being unable to not daydream about the handsome stranger with the pretty eyes.

Either way, her trip back to Toronto had gone well, next day they would attend the Orchard's party (Diana had told her she'd contacted Gilbert and he'd reserved a whole table for them) and she couldn't wait to get rid of this false illusion, she decided that the only way she'd be able to get over this man would be by meeting him. Usually, that's all it takes to stop liking a man.

"Anne?" Diana peered through the door. "It's almost three in the morning, you should go to bed..."

"I'm sorry Di, did I wake you?" 

"Yeah, what are you doing anyway? School hasn't started, you can't be doing homework?"

"Oh, no," Anne smiled. "I started a new project. It's... It's a romance."

"Oh?" Diana's brow raised. "Are we back to being hopeless romantics, then?"

"I don't know," She looked back at her laptop. "I haven't decided yet. Which is perfect for the book, you know? I think I can give an interesting perspective, don't you think? More objective?"

"What's the main plot?"

"I don't know yet," Anne laughed. "It's about this boy, he's met a girl once in his life and only talked to her for like, five seconds, but it's enough for him to fall in love completely. After that, he starts to compare every woman to the stranger even though all is mere speculation— I haven't decided whether if it should have a happy ending or a realistic one."

"Happy endings can be realistic too, you know?"

"Well, you know what I mean," She shrugged. "It's just a concept, and it could suck— I could end up abandoning the story if it doesn't feel right, but it's the first time I feel inspired enough to do something longer than three pages and I thought I should try it."

"I think you should," Diana walked up to her and kissed the top of her head. "I know it's hard to go to bed when you're inspired and all, but do try to sleep? I don't want you leaving the party early..."

Anne's stomach twisted in anticipation, she doesn't know if she'll want to stay after meeting Gilbert, but she can't say that to her friend.

"Of course," She smiles. "Don't worry."

* * *

It wasn't a fact, but the possibility of Anne coming to the party caused Gilbert to pour all his energy into making sure everything was perfect.

Gilbert had always been a bit of a control freak, but this was the last opportunity to actually meet the real Anne, and he didn't want to waste it.

He looked at the decorations around him feeling satisfied, Gilbert checked the time and realized it was almost 3 am, he swore under his breath and quickly made his way out, making sure everything was in place and safely secured. 

He didn't know why, but something about the next day felt final, it was a now or never kind of situation.

* * *

_The train's incessant rumbling woke him up. He realized he'd fallen asleep while reading the newspaper, Gilbert carefully folded it and fixed his posture as well as his clothes. He realized he was wearing some kind of old-fashioned suit, which he didn't consider strange at all, it felt right, actually, he felt more at home than ever._

_Someone sat down in front of him, a dark-haired girl with intense brown eyes and flushed cheeks, he knew who it was immediately._

_"Diana," He smiled. "To what do I owe the ple—"_

_"What is wrong with you?" She interrupted. "First you make us all believe you're marrying an older lady, then you show up at the last minute and announce to my father that you're no longer marrying and you're moving to Toronto instead?"_

_"I— What?" Gilbert blinked. "Marrying?"_

_"Yes!" Diana leaned forward. "You told my father you were planning to propose to Winnifred Rose and that you were moving out to Paris, then you change your plans completely! You have no idea how's Anne suffered because of you!"_

_The name immediately stirred something in him, Gilbert smiled._

_"This is a dream, isn't it?" He asked. "She's here—"_

_"So you simply never bothered to speak to Anne about any of this?" She demanded, clearly not listening to him._

_Gilbert's mind came up with a reply on its own, much like any regular dream, it was as if he knew there was a script he had to follow for the story to continue its course._

_"Had I had the opportunity to I would have, in fact, I went over—"_

_"You had every opportunity, for years! Admit it— You've been smitten with Anne ever since she first came to Avonlea and smashed that slate over your head!"_

_The sentence brought back clear memories: Anne looking extremely pissed, holding a small slate and then hitting him with it. Him being so drunk he'd insulted her without really meaning to._

_'Oh... crap', He thought._

_"I need to talk to her," Gilbert stood up abruptly._

_Part of him knew this wasn't real and talking to Anne here would do nothing to fix the reality that he'd screwed up the first impression already. But his dream-self had no sense of logic, so he ran to the nearest exit just when the train was reaching the station._

_He rushed past the crowd and quickly found himself in the middle of a town with no idea of where he was going. The streets looked familiar, but where was Anne?_

_He ran across alleys, wide streets and unknown houses until he saw a big, greenish building ahead, and his heart jolted in excitement, he knew this was it, he sped forward, he was reaching the entrance—_

* * *

The loud beeping of his alarm woke him up abruptly. Gilbert's eyes opened at once and he looked for the device frantically.

"No no no," He said anxiously. "I was so close!"

But it was all a dream, even if he'd found Anne, it wouldn't change the fact that he'd already ruined his chances with her since the start, and maybe his dreams were all a constant reminder of how it didn't matter how many times he could rewrite the story in his dreams, what's done it's done.

Gilbert fell back on the mattress with a groaned. He'd been planning this party for weeks and now it all felt useless, now all he could do was wait for the party and hope Anne didn't remember him.

* * *

_Anne stood gracefully in the corner of the room, looking around at the attendants of that evening's ball without much interest, she was looking for those familiar dark-brown curls, but there was no sign of them yet._

_"Oh, Anne!" Phil approached her. "Isn't this dance beautiful? Although it saddens me that the only reason why we get to enjoy it it's because we've finished our studies for good! I shall miss the classroom very much, won't you miss me?"_

_"Yes, I believe my heart will feel like a part of it has been stolen as soon as you part from my side," Anne replied, only the tiniest hint of teasing in her voice._

_"Oh, you're lying!" Phil sniffed dramatically. "I know I won't be you most missed old chum, that's a place Gilbert Blythe has occupied ever since you rejected his proposal."_

_"Phil!" Anne exclaimed. "Don't speak like that! It wouldn't be proper of me to miss a man while courting another and you know it!"_

_"Oh, but the heart is such a funny thing," Phil sighed. "And I know you love him, therefore I should deliver the news before it's too late. Gilbert is expected to be engaged very soon."_

_Anne felt like her heart was getting squeezed and shattered, but she managed to control her voice._

_"Oh?"_

_"Yes," Phil continued calmly. "I thought you ought to know, even if you insist you don't love him. I tell you so you don't do anything foolish... you should tell him the truth."_

_"What truth?"_

_"That you and Roy won't get married, of course!"_

_"Dear me, Phil, where did you get that from?" Anne gasped. "He hasn't even proposed!"_

_"It doesn't matter, I know you regret deeply the way you treated Gilbert that dreadful day, I know you would answer differently now, wouldn't you?"_

_What dreadful day?_

_Rejected his proposal? What proposal?_

_A muffled voice echoed in her mind, one she knew too well already._

**_'You would have sex with me?'_ **

_Anne shook her head in incredulity. Well, of course she was going to reject him! That offer had been positively scandalous!_

_And what had she done? She had... she had..._

_The memory came to her fresh in a flash. She had seized the slate and slapped him with it._

_"Oh my..." Anne's hand covered her lips in horror. "Well, I did what I had to, Phil, he was incredibly rude!"_

_"Rude? He was just asking a question!" Phil blinked in confusion. "How's that rude?"_

_"Because he... he..." Anne blinked several times, then her gaze gained a bit of clarity. "He called me carrots! Yes, he did!"_

_"Oh, Anne, that was so long ago!" Phil laughed. "Haven't you gone through enough together to know he didn't mean to offend you?"_

_Anne was growing anxious. She fixed her skirt even though it didn't need any fixing, and stood up._

_"It's getting late, I think I'll go now."_

_Without waiting for a reply she left, in the blink of an eye, she found herself inside the Green Gables' kitchen, Marilla was seated in front of her, and she had a very pitiful expression._

_"I understand if you don't want to visit him, Anne, but I think you should, this may be the last chance you get to speak to him."_

_"I... Visit him?" Anne blinked. "Last chance?"_

_"I don't want to scare you, dear, but his mother told me his condition is quite grave," Marilla sighed. "Gilbert might not be with us next week."_

_"Gilbert?" Anne's voice trembled. "He's sick?"_

_"I understand your shock, but please do consider going to pay him a visit, whatever he did to offend you... it's better if you let him go with a clean conscience, he was such a good man..."_

_Marilla was talking of him as if he were already dead! He couldn't be! Anne had seen him in the picture—_

_But how long had it been since that? How long since she'd stopped dreaming about him? What if this was the reason?_

_Anne stood up and ran upstairs, she got to her room and locked herself away so she could be miserable in peace._

_It was true that he had disrespected her, and she'd defended her honour with that slate... but he was really sweet, and generous... or was he?_

_Ugh, she was so confused!_ _How could she know what was real and what had been her imaginings entirely?_

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Cordelia!" Cole stormed into the room and let himself fall on top of her. Anne groaned and pushed him away. "Are you ready for tonight? I'm planning to get you so drunk you start talking about shifting realities!"

"No!" She whined.

"What?" Cole looked at her. 

"I'm not ready to—" She caught herself before she could say 'meet him', "...to get drunk! I think I should take a break from parties..."

She knew that meeting him would help her get over her infatuation, and maybe even stop her dreams... but she didn't want them to stop; it was so nice to have someone treating her the way Gilbert would in her imagination... what if he was just as awful as Roy? She wasn't ready to have her heart broken again...

"Anne, but you've only gone to one party since the holidays started," Cole visibly deflated, "please don't tell me this is about your ex? Diana told me you were writing again, I thought you were making progress..."

Anne shook her head. "I'm not feeling well, Cole."

Cole stood up, Anne pulled the blankets over her head. 

* * *

When the first group of people arrived, Gilbert's anxiety skyrocketed. He was expecting to see Diana's face any moment now, and that would end up confirming whether he would be reuniting with Anne that night or not.

Thirty minutes... an hour...

"Gilbert!" The young woman and her group of friends (including Cole) made a beeline towards him. "Oh my goodness, you're so tall!"

He smiled, for a moment his thoughts focused on his old friends, and how different yet similar they all look from their younger versions. Then he realized Anne wasn't there, and his hopes and expectations both crashed. 

Of course she wasn't going to come! Even if she did live here, Diana had probably told her it was a reunion for old friends only, and she didn't know him, not the real him, and if he was really honest, he didn't know her either.

* * *

If she were to stay and miss the party, she'd end up frustrated. If she did meet him and didn't like him, she would move on faster— a bit hurt, but knowing she was making the right choice.

However, if she were to attend the party, meet him, and realize he was all she'd been expecting him to be and more... well, she could only hope for him to be single.

Anne had been pacing up and down her apartment pretending to be cleaning when in reality she was only making a bigger mess. Her phone buzzed and Diana's name appeared on the screen. She picked it up with shaky hands and unlocked it. 

_'We miss u :c'_

Under the text there was a selfie of Diana, over her shoulder was Cole, and he was talking animatedly with... Dear God, he was taller than expected.

She stared at Cole and some strange resentment filled her. 

"That should be me," She stated, and somehow she knew she was right. It should be her talking to Gilbert, taking a risk for the first time in years. She'd only dated one guy, for heaven's sake! She had to let herself live!

"FINE!" Anne groaned. "I'm going!"

_******* _

Gilbert hadn't announced he was leaving, he knew they would all ask him to stay but he couldn't, he was disappointed, all he wanted was to stay home watching shitty romcoms and crying his eyes out.

It was all his fault, Anne had nothing to do with this, he had let his mind run wild and these were the consequences he was forced to face.

Unknown to him, Anne was in her apartment frantically changing her clothes and brushing her hair. She grabbed a bag and hastily put all her stuff in it. She'd already wasted two hours, she had to leave the house _NOW._

Gilbert searched his pockets for change, he was planning to buy a few beers and get slightly tipsy so he could be sad properly. He found a dollar but the wind snatched it out of his hand abruptly. The young man let out a short groan as he ran after it. A door opened across the street and a woman's voice reached him. 

"C'mon!" Anne closed the door roughly, she lifted her gaze and...

Gilbert didn't breath, he didn't move. In front of him Anne stopped as well, her arms fell to her sides and she stood there wondering if she was dreaming.

"Hi."

That was his voice! His voice!

She shook her head lightly and walked down the few steps that separated her from the sidewalk. Gilbert's feet moved on their own until he was standing right in front of her. 

Anne's hand reached blindly and pinched her arm, she hissed. He looked down at her wrist and frowned.

"I-I just had to check," She laughed nervously. "I have... a very good imagination— so... I just had to be sure this... is real."

Gilbert spoke in the softest of voices. 

"Anne? With an E?"

"H-How..?"

"I'm Gilbert," He continued. "I don't know if you remember but... I think... I think we've met before?"

"My god— You won't believe this, but I've been having the strangest—"

"Dreams?" He finished for her. "Me too."

She laughed again, her hands were shaking. 

"There... there was a coffee shop—"

"And a cat—"

"You were dying—"

"You were a pirate!"

They looked at each other in disbelief, their smiles growing. 

"I... was it real?" She questioned.

Gilbert's brow furrowed as he spoke. "Which part?"

"I don't know... everything... us?" 

"Anne," He repeated, this time a bit more urgently. "I have to know... does this mean... you know who I am?"

She beamed, then stretched out her hand.

"Gilbert Blythe, I'm Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. I broke a slate on your head the first time we spoke, and I've been sorry ever since, I just didn't remember it."

He let out an incredulous laugh and held her hand eagerly.

"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, I think we're going to be the best of friends," He gazed down at her adoringly. "We're meant to be. You've thwarted destiny long enough."

"Well, it was you who moved out before we could meet!"

"You left the bathroom before I could apologize!" 

"You know what this means?" She smiled.

"Yeah, we have around ten years of conversations we need to catch up to," He joked.

"Ten years and a month," She realized he hadn't let go of her hand, but she wasn't going to move any time soon. "But I'd say the night's still young. I was on my way to your party..."

"Can I walk you there?" He asked expectantly.

"Lead the way."

**_***_ **

"Anne! You came!" Diana froze and stared at Gilbert. "Oh, hi. Did you guys know each other?"

Anne and Gilbert exchanged a look and smiled.

"I ran into him a moment ago," She explained. "He's nice."

"Thanks," He chuckled. "Anne was telling me she's been your best friend ever since she moved to Avonlea— is it true she's Marilla and Matthew's daughter?"

"Yes!" Diana beamed. "Isn't she great?"

"Is it true she got you drunk on accident when you were thirteen?"

Diana laughed.

"You're already sharing stories? Hang on, I have a great one of that one time she dyed her hair green—"

"Diana, don't you dare!"

**_***_ **

"You lucky bastard," Bash slapped the back of his head as Gilbert walked into the kitchen.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"You've been whining about your dream girl for weeks and just when you tell me you gave up, this breathtaking redhead steps into the diner and wastes the whole night flirting with you!" Bash said in disbelief. "How did you do that? What the hell did you sell your soul to?"

Gilbert laughed lightheartedly.

"Honestly, Bash, I have no clue... Was she really flirting with me, though? Do you think she likes me?"

Bash rolled his eyes.

"I swear, Blythe, if you don't ask her on a date I'll kill you."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Gilbert grinned.

**_***_ **

"So, Gilbert," Cole nudged her arm as soon as the boy went into the kitchen. "You know he has a crush on you, right? It's so obvious, I'd be shocked if he doesn't get in one knee by the end of the night and asks you to marry him—"

"Don't scare her, Cole!" Josie slapped his arm lightly. "But Gilbert definitely likes you. He hasn't seen any of us in years and yet he's acting as if we were the strangers!"

Anne squirmed in her place giddily.

"I like him."

"That's our girl!" Jane exclaimed, finishing her drink in one large gulp. "I swear to god, Anne, if you don't take him home I'll run you over with my car..."

"Wow, that's a bit too drastic, don't you think?" Diana said. "They just met, and Anne's just recovering from her breakup with Roy!"

"Fuck Roy, honestly," Anne replied carelessly. "Gilbert's gorgeous..."

"Thanks," a voice said behind her.

Anne winced, the table fell silent and she covered her face with both hands.

"Oh my god... please tell me this isn't happening..."

The group burst out laughing, Gilbert sat down practically glowing with joy. 

"Just so you know, I was about to ask you on a date, but I understand if you need time—"

"She'd be delighted!" Cole interrupted. "Please, help us, our friend desperately needs to get laid—"

"Are you talking about Gilbert?" Moody sat down next to Ruby and placed a drink in front of her. "Because the others told him that already and—"

"Okay!" Gilbert replied loudly. "Can we please not talk about sex?"

"Oh, pity, I was about to offer you a hand..." Anne teased.

Gilbert choked on his beer. 

"W-What?"

"Smooth, doctor," Josie mumbled.

"Wait, is this actually happening?" Ruby asked with excitement. "Are you two going on a date for real?"

Gilbert stared at Anne with his mouth half-open, unable to get the words out. Anne simply smiled at him and nodded. 

"Yes Gil, I would to."

The table went wild afterwards. Cole, Diana and Josie rambled about how they should've introduced them sooner, the rest simply were in for the teasing, but no one in the place apart from Anne and Gilbert knew exactly how long both had been waiting for this moment. No one was more relieved that them.

No one was happier than Gilbert as he reached for her hand and held it in front of everyone. No one felt more giddy and excited that Anne when he asked for her phone number.

Life had turned into their best dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I feel about this, part of me feels like it was a bit rushed, but I think that's how things would go after so long dreaming about each other, kinda just moving all at once and shirbert going along with it, you know? 
> 
> idk, let me know what you guys think and if you want an epilogue! -Danny


End file.
